Shloka 4
सेनापति-निर्णयः तथा पाण्डवसेनायाः कुरुक्षेत्रगमनम्
Decision on Command and the Pandavas’ March to Kurukshetra
ततस्ते पृथिवीपाला: प्रययु: सहसैनिका: । भीष्मं सेनापतिं कृत्वा संहृष्टाः कालचोदिता:,तदनन्तर वे सभी भूपाल कालसे प्रेरित हो भीष्मको सेनापति बनाकर बड़े हर्षके साथ सैनिकों-सहित वहाँसे चल दिये हैं
tatas te pṛthivīpālāḥ prayayuḥ sahasainikāḥ | bhīṣmaṃ senāpatiṃ kṛtvā saṃhṛṣṭāḥ kālacoditāḥ ||
Then those kings, accompanied by their armies, set out. Urged on by the pressure of time and fate, and rejoicing in their resolve, they appointed Bhīṣma as commander-in-chief and departed from that place—an ominous movement where political choice and moral consequence begin to converge toward war.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective political decisions—especially the appointment of a war-leader—can be propelled by a sense of inevitability (kālacoditāḥ). It implicitly warns that enthusiasm and momentum do not guarantee righteousness; dharma requires discernment even when events feel fated.
A group of kings (allied rulers) depart with their forces after choosing Bhīṣma as their commander-in-chief. Their departure signals the consolidation of military leadership and the accelerating approach toward the Kurukṣetra conflict.