Shloka 11
युद्धसंग्रहः
Kurukṣetra Campaign in Summary
विपणापणवान् रम्यो भक्ष्यभोज्यविहारवान्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | vipaṇāpaṇavān ramyo bhakṣyabhojyavihāravān | sa mahān parvataparaḥ mahotsavaḥ parama-maṅgalamayaḥ pratibhāti | tatra dūkānāni ca bāzārāś ca āsan | bhakṣya-bhojyāni yathā-iṣṭaṃ prāpyante sma | sarvataḥ paribhramaṇa-vihārasya saukaryaṃ āsīt | vastra-mālānāṃ rāśayaḥ saṃnihitāḥ | vīṇā-veṇu-mṛdaṅgāś ca vādyante sma | etaiḥ sarvaiḥ tatra ramyatā bahu vardhitā | tatra dīnānām andhānām anāthānāṃ ca nityam surā-maireya-miśritaṃ bhakṣya-bhojyaṃ dīyate sma |
Waiśampāyana berkata: Perayaan agung yang berlangsung di puncak gunung itu tampak amat mujur dan suci. Di sana berdiri kios-kios dan pasar; makanan dan minuman tersedia berlimpah sesuai kehendak, dan ke segala arah orang leluasa berjalan-jalan serta bersenang-senang. Tumpukan kain dan rangkaian bunga tersaji, sementara bunyi vīṇā, seruling, dan gendang mṛdaṅga menggema. Oleh semuanya itu, keelokan tempat itu kian bertambah. Lagi pula, bagi kaum papa, orang buta, dan anak yatim, santapan dan minuman—bercampur surā dan maireya—senantiasa dibagikan tanpa henti.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights a ruler’s public prosperity expressed through orderly celebration and generosity: abundance is not merely displayed but also redistributed to society’s most vulnerable (the poor, blind, and orphaned). It frames auspiciousness (maṅgala) as including social care alongside spectacle.
Vaiśampāyana describes a grand mountain-set festival with bustling markets, plentiful food, music, and leisure. Alongside the festivities, continuous distribution of provisions is arranged for disadvantaged people, indicating organized public charity during the celebration.