Shloka 21
उदतिष्ठत् ततः पार्थों भीमकर्मा वृकोदर: । गाण्डीवधन्वा ये चान्ये राजानस्तत्र केचन,उन्हें देखते ही धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर, महातेजस्वी श्रीकृष्ण, भयंकर कर्म करनेवाले कुन्तीपुत्र भीमसेन तथा अन्य जो कोई भी राजा वहाँ विद्यमान थे, वे सब-के-सब उठकर खड़े हो गये
udatiṣṭhat tataḥ pārtho bhīmakarmā vṛkodaraḥ | gāṇḍīvadhanvā ye cānye rājānas tatra kecana ||
Then Pārtha—Bhīma of dreadful deeds, the wolf-bellied hero—rose to his feet; and the other kings who were present there as well, including the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva, also stood up. The scene conveys a formal, dharma-governed gesture of respect and readiness, as the assembly responds in disciplined unison to what has just appeared or been announced.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a tense pre-war setting, conduct is regulated by dharma: rising together in an assembly signals respect, recognition of status, and disciplined readiness—ethical order maintained amid political crisis.
Vaiśampāyana describes a formal reaction in the gathering: Bhīma (Vṛkodara) rises first, and other kings present—along with the famed Gāṇḍīva-bearing archer—also stand, indicating that someone significant has appeared or that a decisive moment has been reached.