Shloka 18
भीष्म-द्रोणादिभिः पाण्डवसेनाक्षयकाल-निर्णयः | Time-estimates for the depletion of the Pāṇḍava forces
Bhīṣma–Droṇa council
सनागाश्चमनुष्याणां ये च शिल्पोपजीविन: । ये चान्येडनुगतास्तत्र सूतमागधबन्दिन:
sanāgāś ca manuṣyāṇāṁ ye ca śilpopajīvinaḥ | ye cānye 'nugatās tatra sūtamāgadhabandinaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Those who tended the elephants, the foot-soldiers, and those who lived by crafts, as well as other attendants who followed there—charioteers, court-bards (Māgadhas), and panegyrists—were all provided with food by King Duryodhana. In this scene, the king’s largesse is shown as extending beyond the high-born guests to the entire supporting retinue, revealing how royal power sustains an army and court through organized hospitality and patronage.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a practical dimension of rājadharma: a king’s responsibility to sustain not only nobles but also the full ecosystem of an army and court—elephant corps, footmen, artisans, and professional bards—through orderly provision. Generosity here functions as social glue and political instrument, binding followers through support.
During the Udyoga Parva’s mobilization and alliance-building atmosphere, Duryodhana is depicted distributing food widely. The narration emphasizes that provisions reach every category of attendant—military and civilian—showing the scale of his arrangements and the breadth of those gathered around him.