Shloka 26
Daitya-āśvāsana of Duryodhana; Karṇa’s assurance and the mobilization of the Kaurava host
अष्टौ रथसहस्राणि त्रीणि नागायुतानि च । पत्तयो बहुसाहस्रा हयाश्व नवति: शता:,दुर्योधनके साथ आठ हजार रथ, तीस हजार हाथी, कई हजार पैदल और नौ हजार घोड़े गये
aṣṭau rathasahasrāṇi trīṇi nāgāyutāni ca | pattayo bahusāhasrā hayāśvā navatiḥ śatāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Along with Duryodhana there went eight thousand chariots, three ayutas (i.e., thirty thousand) elephants, many thousands of foot-soldiers, and nine thousand horses.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the pursuit of dominance is often expressed through sheer military magnitude; ethically, it invites reflection on whether power is being marshaled for protection and dharma or for coercion and escalation.
Vaiśampāyana reports the scale of the force accompanying Duryodhana—chariots, elephants, infantry, and horses—underscoring the seriousness of the expedition and the looming atmosphere of confrontation.