Shloka 18
Dvārakāyāṃ Sāhāyya-vibhāgaḥ (Alliance Allocation at Dvārakā) / उद्योगपर्व अध्याय ७
मत्संहननतुल्यानां गोपानामर्बुदं महत् | नारायणा इति ख्याता: सर्वे संग्रामयोधिन:
matsaṃhananatulyānāṃ gopānām arbudaṃ mahat | nārāyaṇā iti khyātāḥ sarve saṅgrāmayodhinaḥ ||
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: “I have a vast host of cowherds—an arbuda in number—whose bodily strength and build are comparable to my own. All of them are known by the designation ‘Nārāyaṇas,’ and every one of them is a steadfast fighter in battle.”
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Strength and readiness are part of righteous leadership: the capacity to protect dharma and deter adharma matters. Kṛṣṇa’s statement highlights that ethical choices in conflict are not made from weakness but from disciplined power under dharma.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations and preparations, Kṛṣṇa describes the scale and quality of his supporting forces—an immense body of gopas known collectively as ‘Nārāyaṇas,’ all battle-ready—emphasizing the strategic weight he can bring to the impending conflict.