Shloka 246
सेनासमागमः — The Convergence of Armies
अक्षौहिण्या च कौरव्यं दुर्योधनमुपागतौ । अवन्तीदेशके दोनों राजा विन्द और अनुविन्द भी पृथक्-पृथक् एक अक्षौहिणी सेनासे घिरे हुए दुर्योधनके पास आये
akṣauhiṇyā ca kauravyaṃ duryodhanam upāgatau | avantīdeśake dvau rājānau vindaś cānuvindaś ca pṛthak-pṛthag ekaikām akṣauhiṇīṃ senāṃ parivṛtya duryodhanasya samīpam ājagmatuḥ |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Duryodhana of the Kuru line was approached with an akṣauhiṇī force. From the land of Avanti, the two kings—Vinda and Anuvinda—also came separately to Duryodhana, each surrounded by his own full akṣauhiṇī army.
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how political allegiance is expressed through concrete support—here, entire akṣauhiṇī armies—implying that choosing a side in conflict is not merely verbal but ethically consequential, as it strengthens one party’s capacity for war.
As war preparations intensify, Duryodhana receives reinforcements: Vinda and Anuvinda, kings from Avanti, arrive separately, each bringing an akṣauhiṇī force, thereby expanding the Kaurava coalition.