Shloka 8
Bhīmasena’s Eastern Digvijaya and the Cedi Reception
Sabhā-parva 26
तत्र राजा महानासीद् भगदत्तो विशाम्पते । तेनासीत् सुमहद् युद्ध पाण्डवस्य महात्मन:,महाराज! प्राग्ज्योतिषपुरके प्रधान राजा भगदत्त थे। उनके साथ महात्मा अर्जुनका बड़ा भारी युद्ध हुआ
tatra rājā mahān āsīd bhagadatto viśāmpate | tenāsīt sumahad yuddha pāṇḍavasya mahātmanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : « Là, ô seigneur des peuples, se trouvait le puissant roi Bhagadatta. Contre lui, le noble Pāṇḍava (Arjuna) livra une très grande bataille. »
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the kṣatriya world of the epic: great kings are defined by responsibility and valor, and their participation magnifies the conflict’s gravity—reminding readers that power and fame also carry the burden of war and its consequences.
Vaiśampāyana identifies Bhagadatta as a prominent king present in the assembly’s broader context and notes that a major battle took place between him and the noble Pāṇḍava—understood here as Arjuna.