Shloka 6
अध्याय ८ — शल्यस्य सत्कारः, वरदानं, पाण्डवसमागमश्च (Śalya’s Reception, the Boon, and Meeting the Pāṇḍavas)
व्यथयन्निव भूतानि कम्पयन्निव मेदिनीम् । शनैर्विश्रामयन् सेनां स ययौ येन पाण्डव:
vyathayann iva bhūtāni kampayann iva medinīm | śanair viśrāmayann senāṃ sa yayau yena pāṇḍavaḥ ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: El rey Śalya avanzó por la ruta que le permitiría llegar pronto al Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira). Al pasar, su gran ejército parecía afligir a los seres vivos y hacer temblar a la propia tierra; con todo, marchaba con firmeza, deteniéndose aquí y allá para dar descanso a las tropas por etapas. El verso subraya el peso moral del poder en marcha: incluso el movimiento disciplinado hacia un fin político ejerce una presión inevitable sobre las criaturas y el suelo.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even legitimate political movement and military organization have ethical consequences: the sheer mass of an army can distress beings and strain the land. The verse hints at the responsibility of rulers to balance strategic aims with restraint and care for those affected.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that King Śalya proceeds with his army toward the Pāṇḍavas (especially Yudhiṣṭhira). The march is powerful enough to seem to shake the earth, but Śalya advances methodically, stopping at intervals to rest the troops so he may reach them promptly.