Shloka 31
सेनासमागमः — The Convergence of Armies
वारणं वाटधानं च यामुनश्चैव पर्वत: । एष देश: सुविस्तीर्ण: प्रभूतधनधान्यवान्
vāraṇaṁ vāṭadhānaṁ ca yāmunaś caiva parvataḥ | eṣa deśaḥ suvistīrṇaḥ prabhūtadhana-dhānyavān |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Vāraṇa and Vāṭadhāna, and also the mountain called Yāmuna—this whole tract is broad and far-spreading, rich in wealth and grain.”
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
By stressing that the land is “suvistīrṇa” and “dhana-dhānyavān,” the text implicitly contrasts the proper dharmic aim of rulership—protection and flourishing of people and agriculture—with the destructive momentum of war, where even prosperous regions become targets of domination.
Vaiśaṃpāyana is describing the extent and prosperity of a particular tract of country by naming notable places and a mountain; this forms part of a broader account of territorial scope and strategic positioning as the conflict between the Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas moves toward open war.