Shloka 19
पाण्डवसेनानायकाभिषेकः तथा बलरामागमन-उपदेशः | Appointment of Pandava Commanders and Balarama’s Counsel
आमुक्तकवचैरयुक्ति: सपताकै: स्वलड्कृतै: । सादिभिश्वोपपन्नास्तु तथा चायुतशो हया:,इसी प्रकार कवचधारी, युद्धके लिये उद्यत, आभूषणोंसे विभूषित तथा पताकाधारी सवारोंसे युक्त हजारों-लाखों घोड़े उस सेनामें मौजूद थे
āmuktakavacair ayuktiḥ sapatākaiḥ svalakṛtaiḥ | sādibhiś copapannās tu tathā cāyutaśo hayāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “The army also held countless horses—tens of thousands—together with mounted warriors whose armor was fastened tight, ready for battle, bearing banners, and adorned with fine ornaments. The account underscores the vastness and preparedness of the forces gathering for a war whose moral weight would soon test both sides’ claims to dharma.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive, but it implicitly highlights how immense military power and meticulous preparation can intensify the ethical stakes of conflict: when forces are fully mobilized, the responsibility to pursue dharma—through restraint, counsel, and just cause—becomes even more urgent.
Vaiśampāyana is describing the composition and readiness of the assembled army, emphasizing large numbers of horses and mounted warriors—armored, ornamented, and carrying banners—signaling that the march toward war has reached an advanced stage of mobilization.