Shloka 18
भीष्म-द्रोणादिभिः पाण्डवसेनाक्षयकाल-निर्णयः | Time-estimates for the depletion of the Pāṇḍava forces
Bhīṣma–Droṇa council
सनागाश्चमनुष्याणां ये च शिल्पोपजीविन: । ये चान्येडनुगतास्तत्र सूतमागधबन्दिन:
sanāgāś ca manuṣyāṇāṁ ye ca śilpopajīvinaḥ | ye cānye 'nugatās tatra sūtamāgadhabandinaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana dijo: Quienes cuidaban de los elefantes, los soldados de a pie, los que vivían de los oficios, y otros asistentes que allí seguían—aurigas (sūtas), bardos cortesanos (māgadhas) y panegiristas—todos recibían alimento por orden del rey Duryodhana. La escena muestra que su largueza se extendía más allá de los huéspedes ilustres hasta toda la comitiva de apoyo, revelando cómo el poder real sostiene al ejército y a la corte mediante una hospitalidad y un patronazgo organizados.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a practical dimension of rājadharma: a king’s responsibility to sustain not only nobles but also the full ecosystem of an army and court—elephant corps, footmen, artisans, and professional bards—through orderly provision. Generosity here functions as social glue and political instrument, binding followers through support.
During the Udyoga Parva’s mobilization and alliance-building atmosphere, Duryodhana is depicted distributing food widely. The narration emphasizes that provisions reach every category of attendant—military and civilian—showing the scale of his arrangements and the breadth of those gathered around him.