Shloka 15
धृतराष्ट्रस्य क्रतु-प्रवर्तनम् तथा पाण्डवानां निमन्त्रण-प्रतिवचनम्
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Sacrifice Commences and the Pandavas’ Reply to the Invitation
ते वध्यमाना गन्धर्वा: सूतपुत्रेण धीमता
te vadhyamānā gandharvāḥ sūtaputreṇa dhīmatā | āpatad dhi mahāvegaiś citrasenasya sainikaiḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana dit : Tandis que les Gandharvas tombaient sous les coups du sage fils du cocher (Karna), les troupes de Citrasena, d’une rapidité extrême, accouraient sans cesse. Plus on frappait les Gandharvas, plus ils s’y rassemblaient par centaines et par milliers, si bien qu’en un instant le sol tout entier sembla rempli—comme changé—en une armée de Gandharvas.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how force invites counter-force: as Karna strikes the Gandharvas, their numbers surge, showing the rapid escalation and widening of violence once a conflict is joined.
Karna is attacking the Gandharvas; in response, Citrasena’s swift troops keep arriving in large numbers, quickly filling the battlefield so densely that the earth appears covered with Gandharvas.