Shloka 20
Dambhodbhava, Nara-Nārāyaṇa, and the Counsel to Abandon Hubris
Udyoga-parva 94
सैन्धवश्न कलिड्जश्च काम्बोजश्न सुदक्षिण: । युधिष्ठिरो भीमसेन: सव्यसाची यमौ तथा
saindhavaś ca kaliṅgaś ca kāmbojaś ca sudakṣiṇaḥ | yudhiṣṭhiro bhīmasenaḥ savyasācī yamau tathā |
Vaiśampāyana said: “There are Jayadratha, lord of Sindhu; the king of Kaliṅga; and Sudakṣiṇa, ruler of the Kāmbojas—along with Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīmasena, Arjuna the ambidextrous archer, and the twin brothers Nakula and Sahadeva. When such mighty warriors stand on a single side, what king, bereft of sound judgment, could choose to oppose that host in war?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores political and ethical prudence: when a side is supported by renowned, powerful warriors, opposing it is portrayed as a sign of विपरीत बुद्धि (perverse or unsound judgment). It implies that wise kings weigh strength, alliances, and consequences before choosing war.
Vaiśampāyana continues a description of the formidable warriors aligned in the coming conflict, naming key kings and the Pāṇḍava heroes. The rhetorical question emphasizes the overwhelming martial capacity of such a coalition and frames any decision to fight them as reckless.