Shloka 26
Virāṭa’s Mobilization to Recover the Cattle (गोधनरक्षणार्थ विराटस्य सैन्यसमायोजनम्)
प्रति वैरं चिकीर्षन्तो गोषु गृद्धा महाबला: । आदातु गा: सुशर्माथ कृष्णपक्षस्य सप्तमीम्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | prati vairaṃ cikīrṣanto goṣu gṛddhā mahābalāḥ | ādātu gāḥ suśarmātha kṛṣṇapakṣasya saptamīm ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Impulsados por el deseo de saldar una antigua enemistad, los poderosos guerreros Trigartas—codiciosos del ganado de Virāṭa—se dispusieron a apoderarse de las vacas. Así, Suśarmā partió para llevarse el rebaño en el séptimo día de la quincena oscura, conforme a un plan previamente acordado.»
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how vengeance (prati-vaira) and greed (gṛddhāḥ) can drive collective violence. By presenting the raid as premeditated and motivated by retaliation, it implicitly contrasts such conduct with dharmic restraint and just warfare.
Suśarmā and the Trigarta forces, seeking to avenge an earlier hostility, plan and initiate a cattle raid—setting out on the dark-fortnight seventh day to seize Virāṭa’s cows.