Shloka 22
वसुदेव–अर्जुन संवादः
Vasudeva–Arjuna Dialogue in the Aftermath of Dvārakā
अनुजम्मुश्न त॑ वीरं देव्यस्ता वै स्वलंकृता: । स्त्रीसहस्रै: परिवृता वधूभिश्न सहस्रश:
anujam muṣṇata vīraṃ devyās tā vai suvalaṅkṛtāḥ | strīsahasraiḥ parivṛtā vadhūbhiś ca sahasraśaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: Entonces aquellas damas, espléndidamente ataviadas, se llevaron al hermano menor del héroe, rodeándolo con miles de mujeres y con miles de novias. La escena revela el derrumbe del freno y del orden tras la catástrofe de los Yādava, cuando el deseo y el oportunismo sustituyen la protección dhármica de las personas y del linaje.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, when protective dharma collapses, society can descend into exploitation: even kin (the ‘younger brother’) become targets, and crowds embolden wrongdoing. It serves as a warning about the ethical vacuum that follows collective ruin.
In the turbulent aftermath described in the Mausala Parva, richly adorned women, in vast numbers, surround and carry off the hero’s younger brother—an image of chaotic abduction and the breakdown of normal safeguards and propriety.