Shloka 15
सेनासमागमः — The Convergence of Armies
भगदत्तो महीपाल: सेनामक्षौहिणीं ददौ । तस्य चीनै: किरातैश्व काज्चनैरिव संवृतम्
bhagadatto mahīpālaḥ senām akṣauhiṇīṃ dadau | tasya cīnaiḥ kirātaiś ca kāñcanair iva saṃvṛtam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: King Bhagadatta contributed an entire akṣauhiṇī. His contingent was surrounded—indeed adorned—by troops of the Cīnas and Kirātas, gleaming like gold.
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of royal agency in war: a king’s decision to supply a full akṣauhiṇī is not merely logistical but a moral commitment that amplifies the scale of violence and responsibility. It also reflects how power and ambition draw in diverse peoples, making conflict broader than a single dynasty’s quarrel.
Vaiśaṃpāyana is enumerating the forces assembling for the Kurukṣetra war. Here he notes that King Bhagadatta contributes a full akṣauhiṇī, and that his force is accompanied by Cīna and Kirāta troops, described as shining like gold—emphasizing both splendor and formidable strength.