Shloka 4
सेनासमागमः — The Convergence of Armies
खड्गकार्मुकनिर्व्यूहैः शरैश्व॒ विविधैरपि । तैलधौतै: प्रकाशद्धिस्तदशो भत वै बलम्
khaḍga-kārmuka-nirvyūhaiḥ śaraiś ca vividha-ir api | taila-dhautaiḥ prakāśadbhiḥ tad aśobhat vai balam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “That army shone splendidly—arrayed with swords and bows, and with many kinds of arrows, their weapons gleaming as if freshly cleaned and oiled—presenting a formidable, war-ready spectacle.”
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the disciplined readiness and organized power of a force prepared for conflict; ethically, it foreshadows the gravity of war—when arms are polished and formations set, the path toward violence becomes concrete and difficult to reverse.
The narrator describes an army’s impressive appearance: swords, bows, and many kinds of arrows are arranged in formations, and the weapons gleam as if oiled and cleaned, emphasizing the force’s preparedness and intimidating splendor.