Shloka 18
Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ
Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit
योत्स्यन्ति युधि विक्रम्य शत्रुभिस्तव पार्थिव | गदाभिमरुसलै: शूलै: शस्त्रैरुच्चावचैस्तथा,(प्रहरिष्यन्ति ते वीरास्तवारिषु महाबला: ।) राजन! दैत्यों तथा राक्षसोंके समुदाय क्षत्रिययोनिमें उत्पन्न हुए हैं, जो आपके शत्रुओंके साथ पराक्रमपूर्वक युद्ध करेंगे। वे महाबली वीर दैत्य आपके शत्रुओंपर गदा, मुसल, शूल तथा अन्य छोटे-बड़े अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंद्वारा प्रहार करेंगे
yo'tsyanti yudhi vikramya śatrubhis tava pārthiva | gadābhimarusalaiḥ śūlaiḥ śastrair uccāvacais tathā (praharīṣyanti te vīrās tavāriṣu mahābalāḥ) |
Vaiśampāyana said: “O king, there are hosts of Daityas and Rākṣasas born into the Kṣatriya line; joining with your enemies, they will fight with bold prowess on the battlefield. Those mighty warriors will strike at your foes with clubs, maces, spears, and weapons of many kinds—great and small.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how warfare can draw in powerful, morally ambiguous forces: even beings classed as Daityas and Rākṣasas may appear within Kṣatriya society and, by choosing alliances, intensify conflict. It cautions that political enmity can attract destructive energies and escalate violence beyond ordinary human limits.
Vaiśampāyana describes to a king that formidable Daitya and Rākṣasa warriors—born among Kṣatriyas—will side with the king’s enemies and fight fiercely. He details their assault using maces, clubs, spears, and assorted weapons, emphasizing the scale and ferocity of the coming battle.