Shloka 18
पाण्डवसेनानायकाभिषेकः तथा बलरामागमन-उपदेशः | Appointment of Pandava Commanders and Balarama’s Counsel
गजैर्मत्तै: समाकीर्ण सर्वमायुधको शकै: । तद् बभूव बल॑ राजन् कौरव्यस्य महात्मन:,राजन! महामना दुर्योधनकी वह सारी सेना ही अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंके भण्डारसे युक्त मदमत्त गजराजोंसे व्याप्त हो रही थी
gajair mattaiḥ samākīrṇaṃ sarvam āyudhakośakaiḥ | tad babhūva balaṃ rājan kauravyasya mahātmanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O King, the entire army of the high-souled Kaurava was densely filled with rut-maddened elephants and fully supplied with stores of weapons of every kind. The sight proclaimed deliberate readiness for war—an outward show of power and resources that, in the epic’s dharmic frame, also marks a hardening resolve that drives reconciliation farther away.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how material strength—elephants and abundant weaponry—can become a visible marker of commitment to conflict. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical lens, such preparedness is not value-neutral: it often accompanies pride and obstinacy, making peaceful settlement harder and increasing the moral burden of choosing war.
Vaiśampāyana describes the Kaurava force as packed with musth elephants and supplied with weapon stores, portraying the Kaurava side’s large-scale mobilization and readiness as the crisis moves toward open battle.