Shloka 2.93.26

चित्रकूटमार्गवर्णनम् — Bharata’s Army Reaches Chitrakuta and Searches for Rama

Devanagari script

एवमुक्ता स्ततस्सर्वे तत्र तस्थुः समन्तः। भरतो यत्र धूमाग्रं तत्र दृष्टिं समादधात्।।2.93.26।।

Transliteration

turaṅgaughair avatatā vāraṇaiś ca mahājavaiḥ | anālakṣyā ciraṃ kālaṃ tasminkāle babhūva bhūḥ || 2.93.5 ||

Translation

Overspread by multitudes of horses and swift elephants, the earth became, for a long while at that time, scarcely visible.

Context

At this command, all of them halted. Then Bharata fixed his gaze on the source of the smoke.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata’s army
• horses (turaṅga)
• elephants (vāraṇa)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The verse highlights the scale of royal resources; dharma requires such forces to be controlled and directed toward rightful ends, not chaos or oppression.

What is the narrative situation?

The march is described as so vast that the ground is hidden beneath the moving cavalry and elephants.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Organized strength under leadership—implying the need for restraint (saṃyama) and order in the exercise of might.