Shloka 29
Adhyāya 195 — Arjuna’s Capability and Restraint Regarding Divyāstras
Udyoga Parva
रथा विंशतिसाहस्रा ये तेषामनुयायिन: । हयानां दश कोट्यश्व महतां किंकिणीकिनाम्
rathā viṁśatisāhasrā ye teṣām anuyāyinaḥ | hayānāṁ daśa koṭy-aśva mahatāṁ kiṅkiṇīkinām ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Following them were twenty thousand chariots, and ten crores of great horses—caparisoned and resonant with tinkling bells—signifying the immense scale of the forces being gathered for the coming conflict.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how the momentum toward war is built not only by intent but by vast material mobilization; it invites reflection on the ethical weight of leadership decisions when immense resources and lives are drawn into conflict.
Vaiśampāyana is describing the magnitude of the forces accompanying a party—counting chariots and horses—within the Udyoga Parva’s broader account of preparations and alliances leading up to the great war.