Shloka 27
Daitya-āśvāsana of Duryodhana; Karṇa’s assurance and the mobilization of the Kaurava host
शकटापणवेशाक्र वणिजो वन्दिनस्तथा । नराक्ष मृगयाशीला: शतशो5थ सहस्रश:,बोझ ढोनेके लिये सैकड़ों छकड़े, दुकानें तथा वेष-भूषाकी सामग्रियाँ भी साथ चलीं। वणिक्, वंदीजन तथा आखेटप्रिय मनुष्य सैकड़ों-हजारोंकी संख्यामें साथ गये
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
śakaṭāpaṇa-veśākrā vaṇijo vandinas tathā |
narākṣa-mṛgayā-śīlāḥ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Along with them went hundreds and even thousands—wagon-bearers and market-stalls, supplies of dress and adornment, merchants and bards as well, and men devoted to guarding people and to the pursuit of the hunt.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Large royal movements affect the whole social order: commerce, entertainment, and security travel together. The verse highlights interdependence—leadership decisions ripple through livelihoods and public life, implying ethical responsibility toward those who follow.
The narrator describes the scale and composition of those accompanying the main party: wagons and market arrangements, merchants and bards, and many men engaged in protection and hunting—indicating a vast, organized entourage rather than a small group.