Shloka 9
Virāṭa’s Mobilization to Recover the Cattle (गोधनरक्षणार्थ विराटस्य सैन्यसमायोजनम्)
“मैं समझता हूँ; इसके लिये उपयुक्त अवसर प्राप्त हुआ है। यह हमारे लिये अत्यन्त आवश्यक कार्य है। हम प्रचुर धन-धान्यसे सम्पन्न मत्स्यराष्ट्रपर चढ़ाई करें ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca | “manye; asya kṛte yuktam avasaram prāptam asti | etad asmākaṁ atyantaṁ āvaśyakaṁ kāryam | vayaṁ prabhūta-dhana-dhānya-sampannaṁ matsya-rāṣṭram abhyāyāmaḥ || ādādāmo ’sya ratnāni vividhāni vasūni ca | grāmān rāṣṭrāṇi vā tasya hariṣyāmo vibhāgaśaḥ || rājā virāṭa—iha nānā-vidhāni ratnāni dhanaṁ ca santi | tāni sarvāṇi gṛhītvā tasya grāmān samagraṁ rāṣṭraṁ ca jitvā parasparaṁ vibhajiṣyāmaḥ”
Vaiśampāyana said: “In my judgment, the right moment has come for this. It is a task of urgent necessity for us. Let us march against the Matsya kingdom, rich in grain and wealth. We shall seize his many kinds of jewels and valuables; we shall carry off his villages and even his whole realm, dividing the spoils among ourselves. King Virāṭa has here abundant treasures and riches—taking them all, conquering his settlements and the entire country, we will apportion everything between us.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical danger of framing aggression and plunder as “necessary work” and “timely opportunity.” It implicitly contrasts expedient, wealth-driven conquest with dharmic restraint, reminding readers how greed and political calculation can normalize adharma.
The speaker (as narrated by Vaiśampāyana) reports a proposal to attack the prosperous Matsya kingdom ruled by Virāṭa, seize jewels and valuables, and divide the captured villages and territory among the attackers as shares of booty.