Shloka 17
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ५ (कृष्णनीति: न्यायशम-उपदेशः; विराट-द्रुपदयोः सैन्यसमाह्वानम्)
बलानि तेषां वीराणामागच्छन्ति ततस्तत:
balāni teṣāṃ vīrāṇām āgacchanti tatas tataḥ
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Les forces de ces héros ne cessaient d’arriver, de lieux divers et par vagues successives — un rassemblement de sinistre présage, signe que l’étau du conflit se resserrait et que le poids moral précédant la guerre s’alourdissait.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how conflict becomes difficult to reverse once preparations and alliances begin to consolidate. Ethically, it underscores the responsibility of leaders to act early for peace, because once forces assemble, momentum and pride can overpower dharma-based restraint.
In the Udyoga Parva’s build-up to the Kurukṣetra war, troops belonging to the principal heroes are arriving from different regions, indicating a widening mobilization and the approaching inevitability of armed confrontation.