Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha
Verbal Duel and Omens
दृष्टवा लाडूलिन राजा प्रत्युत्थाय च भारत । प्रीत्या परमया युक्त: समभ्यर्च्य यथाविधि
dṛṣṭvā lāḍūlin rājā pratyutthāya ca bhārata | prītyā paramayā yuktaḥ samabhyarcya yathāvidhi
Sañjaya said: Seeing King Lāḍūlin, O Bhārata, he rose to greet him; filled with the highest goodwill, he honored him duly, in accordance with proper custom. The scene underscores that even amid the harshness of war, the code of respectful reception and right conduct is maintained.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights dharma as proper conduct: rising to greet and honoring a person according to established norms (yathāvidhi). It suggests that ethical discipline and respectful etiquette remain binding even in tense, war-driven circumstances.
Sañjaya narrates that upon seeing King Lāḍūlin, the king present rose in welcome and, with great warmth, offered him due honor in the prescribed manner—indicating a formal reception and observance of courtly protocol.