Shloka 12
Kaurava Mobilization at Kurukṣetra (Duryodhana Orders War Preparations) / कुरुक्षेत्रे धार्तराष्ट्र-सैन्यसज्जा
वयसा शाम्त्रतो धैर्यात् कुलेनाभिजनेन च । ह्वीमान् बलान्वित: श्रीमान् सर्वशास्त्रविशारद:
vayasā śāstrato dhairyāt kulenābhijanena ca | hrīmān balānvitaḥ śrīmān sarvaśāstraviśāradaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Endowed with the maturity of age, grounded in the authority of the scriptures, steady through courage, and distinguished by noble lineage and high birth, he was also modest, strong, prosperous, and expertly versed in all branches of learning—qualities that mark a leader fit to uphold dharma in a time of political strain.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents an ethical portrait of ideal authority: true eminence is not merely power or birth, but a balanced excellence—maturity, scriptural grounding, courage, noble conduct, modest restraint, strength, prosperity, and broad learning—supporting righteous leadership (dharma) amid conflict.
Vaiśaṃpāyana is describing a prominent figure by listing his qualifications and virtues, using a formal encomium to establish credibility and moral stature before subsequent events in the Udyoga Parva’s tense pre-war negotiations and preparations.