Shloka 7
पाण्डवसेनानायकाभिषेकः तथा बलरामागमन-उपदेशः | Appointment of Pandava Commanders and Balarama’s Counsel
सकाण्डदण्डका: सर्वे ससीरविषतोमरा: । सशूर्पपिटका: सर्वे सदात्राड॒कुशतोमरा:
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
sakāṇḍadaṇḍakāḥ sarve saśīravīṣatomarāḥ |
saśūrpapiṭakāḥ sarve sadātrāḍakuśatomarāḥ ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Todos ellos iban provistos de bastones y garrotes, y de jabalinas cuyas puntas estaban untadas de veneno. También llevaban aventadores y cestas, junto con hoces, aguijadas y lanzas: un inventario de armas e instrumentos reunidos para la contienda venidera, que mostraba cuán a fondo se prepararon las huestes para la guerra, adaptando incluso herramientas comunes como instrumentos de violencia.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim thoroughness of war-preparation: even everyday implements (fans, baskets, sickles, goads) are pressed into service as weapons. In the Udyoga Parva’s ethical atmosphere—where peace is still being weighed—this kind of arming highlights how quickly society can slide from ordinary life into organized violence.
Vaiśampāyana is describing the assembled forces and their equipment. The emphasis is on the variety of arms—clubs and spears, including poison-tipped javelins—indicating that the conflict is imminent and that combatants are being outfitted comprehensively.