Shloka 15
Śiśupāla’s Protest Against the Arghya to Kṛṣṇa (शिशुपाल-आक्षेपः)
आगच्छत् पाण्डवेयस्य यज्ञं समरदुर्मद: । रामश्नैवानिरुद्धश्ष कड़कश्न सहसारण:
āgacchat pāṇḍaveyasya yajñaṃ samaradurmadāḥ | rāmaś caivāniruddhaś ca gadāś ca sahasāraṇaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “To the sacrifice being performed by the son of Pāṇḍu came those proud of their prowess in battle—Balarāma, Aniruddha, and Gada, along with Sahasrāraṇa.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how dharma is enacted publicly through participation in sacred rites: eminent warriors and relatives affirm social bonds and political goodwill by attending a yajña, showing that power should be tempered by respect for religious and communal obligations.
During a Pāṇḍava’s sacrificial ceremony, notable Vṛṣṇi figures—Balarāma, Aniruddha, Gada, and Sahasrāraṇa—arrive. Their presence marks the convergence of martial prestige and ritual propriety within the unfolding courtly-political setting of the Sabha Parva.