Shloka 16

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ५ (कृष्णनीति: न्यायशम-उपदेशः; विराट-द्रुपदयोः सैन्यसमाह्वानम्)

Devanagari script

समाकुला मही राजन्‌ कुरुपाण्डवकारणात्‌ | तदा समभवत्‌ कृत्स्ना सम्प्रयाणे महीक्षिताम्‌

Transliteration

samākulā mahī rājan kurupāṇḍavakāraṇāt | tadā samabhavat kṛtsnā samprayāṇe mahīkṣitām ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O King, because of the conflict between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, the whole earth fell into turmoil. At that time, as the kings set out to march, the entire world seemed swept into a single, restless movement.”

Word by Word

समाकुलाconfused, agitated

महीthe earth

राजन्O king

कुरु-पाण्डव-कारणात्because of the Kurus and the Pandavas (as the cause)

तदाthen

समभवत्became, came to be

कृत्स्नाentire, whole

सम्प्रयाणेat the setting out, at the departure

महीक्षिताम्of the kings (earth-protectors)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

King (Janamejaya, implied by address rājan)

Kurus

Pāṇḍavas

mahī (the earth/realm)

mahīkṣit (kings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how a dynastic conflict, when driven toward war, does not remain private: it destabilizes the entire social and political order. Ethically, it underscores the far-reaching consequences of adharma and unchecked rivalry among rulers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the widespread agitation across the land as kings and forces begin to mobilize. The impending Kuru–Pāṇḍava confrontation triggers a general movement of rulers preparing to depart for the coming conflict.