Shloka 28
Yudhiṣṭhira–Droṇa Saṃgrāma
Engagement and Countermeasures
सदा पुष्पफलैव॑क्षैरुपेतां स्फटिकोपलाम् । सिंहव्याप्रसमाकीर्णा नानामृगसमाकुलाम्,गंगाके तटपर स्फटिकमणिमय पत्थर सुशोभित होते थे। सदा फूल और फलोंसे भरे हुए वृक्षसमूह वहाँकी शोभा बढ़ा रहे थे। गंगाके उस तटप्रान्तमें बहुत-से सिंह और व्याप्र विचरण करते थे। नाना प्रकारके मृग वहाँ सब ओर भरे हुए थे
saṃjaya uvāca | sadā puṣpaphalaiḥ vṛkṣair upetāṃ sphaṭikopalām | siṃhavyāghrasamākīrṇā nānāmṛgasamākulām ||
Sañjaya berkata—Tepian sungai itu dihiasi batu-batu bening laksana kristal dan dipermulia oleh pepohonan yang senantiasa sarat bunga serta buah. Tempat itu didatangi singa dan harimau, dan di segala sisi dipenuhi berbagai jenis rusa dan satwa liar lainnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily establishes atmosphere rather than issuing a direct moral injunction: it contrasts the enduring abundance and order of the natural world (fruitful trees, clear stones, thriving wildlife) with the human sphere of conflict in the Drona Parva, reminding the listener that dharma and adharma unfold within a larger, impartial cosmos.
Sanjaya is describing a particular riverside landscape—identified in the accompanying prose as the Gaṅgā’s bank—highlighting its beauty and its dangerous wildlife (lions and tigers) as part of the scene-setting within the events of Drona Parva.