Shloka 213
अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit
अभ्ययु: सहिता: पार्थ प्रगृहीतशरासना: । उसकी सेनामें हाथी
abhyayuḥ sahitāḥ pārtha pragṛhītaśarāsanāḥ |
Vaiśampāyana dit : Rassemblés d’un même élan, l’arc bandé et les flèches prêtes, les guerriers se ruèrent sur Arjuna. Leur armée—pleine d’éléphants, de chevaux et de chars—était ornée de guirlandes d’étendards et de drapeaux. Apprenant la mort du roi Śakuni, les combattants du pays de Gandhāra brûlèrent d’indignation ; aussi, saisissant leurs armes, s’élancèrent-ils d’un seul bloc pour assaillir Arjuna.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how news of a leader’s death can inflame collective anger and drive retaliatory violence. Ethically, it illustrates the peril of acting from amarsa (indignant wrath): it unites people quickly, but often toward destructive ends, showing the tension between kṣatriya duty in battle and the moral cost of vengeance.
Gandhāra warriors, enraged after hearing that King Śakuni has been slain, assemble and launch a coordinated attack on Arjuna. Their army is described as a full combined force with elephants, horses, and chariots, decorated with banners and flags, advancing with weapons ready.