Shloka 23
Dvārakāyāṃ Sāhāyya-vibhāgaḥ (Alliance Allocation at Dvārakā) / उद्योगपर्व अध्याय ७
दुर्योधनस्तु तत् सैन्यं सर्वमावरयत् तदा । सहस्राणां सहस्र॑ तु योधानां प्राप्प भारत
duryodhanas tu tat sainyaṁ sarvam āvarayat tadā | sahasrāṇāṁ sahasraṁ tu yodhānāṁ prāpya bhārata janamejaya |
Vaiśampāyana said: Then Duryodhana proceeded to secure that entire army. O Bhārata, O Janamejaya, having obtained warriors in thousands upon thousands, he felt great satisfaction—believing that Kṛṣṇa had been outwitted—thus strengthening his fearsome war-power and advancing his cause through sheer accumulation of force rather than through righteousness.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the pursuit of victory through sheer military accumulation can inflate pride and reinforce adharma: Duryodhana’s satisfaction arises from gaining force and thinking he has outmaneuvered Kṛṣṇa, suggesting a moral contrast between power-based confidence and dharma-based conduct.
Duryodhana secures the entire contingent of warriors—described as thousands upon thousands—thereby increasing his military strength. The narration frames this as a decisive step in his preparations and self-assuredness on the eve of the great conflict.