Shloka 14
भीष्म-द्रोणादिभिः पाण्डवसेनाक्षयकाल-निर्णयः | Time-estimates for the depletion of the Pāṇḍava forces
Bhīṣma–Droṇa council
तादृशान्येव दुर्गाणि राज्ञामपि महीपति: । कारयामास कौरव्य: शतशो5थ सहसत्रश:,अन्य राजाओंके लिये भी कुरुवंशी भूपालने वैसे ही सैकड़ों तथा सहस्रों दुर्ग बनवाये थे
tādṛśāny eva durgāṇi rājñām api mahīpatiḥ | kārayāmāsa kauravyaḥ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The Kuru-born lord of the earth also had similar forts constructed for other kings—by the hundreds, indeed by the thousands—showing the scale of royal power and the political duty of securing realms through strong defenses.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma includes safeguarding realms through practical measures like fortifications; political responsibility is shown not only in personal power but in creating stable, secure structures that support governance.
The narrator reports that a Kuru-descended sovereign commissioned the construction of many forts—hundreds and thousands—extending such works even for other kings, emphasizing extensive preparations and the magnitude of royal administration.