Shloka 22
वसुदेव–अर्जुन संवादः
Vasudeva–Arjuna Dialogue in the Aftermath of Dvārakā
अनुजम्मुश्न त॑ वीरं देव्यस्ता वै स्वलंकृता: । स्त्रीसहस्रै: परिवृता वधूभिश्न सहस्रश:
anujam muṣṇata vīraṃ devyās tā vai suvalaṅkṛtāḥ | strīsahasraiḥ parivṛtā vadhūbhiś ca sahasraśaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Alors ces dames, magnifiquement parées, enlevèrent le jeune frère du héros, l’encerclant de milliers de femmes et de milliers d’épouses. La scène met en lumière l’effondrement de la retenue et de l’ordre après la catastrophe des Yādava, lorsque le désir et l’opportunisme remplacent la protection conforme au dharma des personnes et des proches.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, when protective dharma collapses, society can descend into exploitation: even kin (the ‘younger brother’) become targets, and crowds embolden wrongdoing. It serves as a warning about the ethical vacuum that follows collective ruin.
In the turbulent aftermath described in the Mausala Parva, richly adorned women, in vast numbers, surround and carry off the hero’s younger brother—an image of chaotic abduction and the breakdown of normal safeguards and propriety.