Shloka 536
Kaurava Mobilization at Kurukṣetra (Duryodhana Orders War Preparations) / कुरुक्षेत्रे धार्तराष्ट्र-सैन्यसज्जा
गड्ेव पूर्णा दुर्धर्षा समदृश्यत वाहिनी । रणयात्राके लिये उद्यत हुए पाण्डव और उनके सैनिक सब ओर दौड़ते, पुकारते और कवच बाँधते दिखायी दिये। उनकी वह विशाल वाहिनी जलसे परिपूर्ण गंगाके समान दुर्गम दिखायी देती थी
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: gaḍeḥ pūrṇā durdharṣā samadṛśyata vāhinī | raṇayātrāya kṛte udyatāḥ pāṇḍavāś ca teṣāṃ sainikāḥ sarvataḥ dhāvantaḥ, āhvayantaḥ, kavacāni baddhvā ca dṛśyante sma | sā mahā-vāhinī jalaugha-paripūrṇā gaṅgeva durgamā pratibhāti sma |
Vaiśampāyana said: Their army appeared fully equipped and hard to assail. As the Pāṇḍavas and their soldiers readied themselves for the march to battle, they were seen rushing in every direction—calling out to one another and fastening their armor. That vast host looked difficult to cross, like the Gaṅgā when swollen and filled with surging waters—an image that underscores both the inevitability of war’s momentum and the grave responsibility borne by those who enter it.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical weight of entering war: once collective action is set in motion, it gains a force like a swollen river. It implicitly calls for disciplined readiness and sober awareness of responsibility, aligning martial preparation with dharma rather than mere aggression.
Vaiśampāyana describes the Pāṇḍavas’ forces assembling for the battle-march: soldiers rush about coordinating, shouting, and fastening armor. The army’s size and cohesion are compared to the Gaṅgā in flood—vast, powerful, and difficult to cross.