Shloka 17
Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies
दशैते पुरुषव्याप्रा: शूरा परिघबाहव: । अक्षौहिणीनां पतयो यज्वानो भूरिदक्षिणा:,सुबलपुत्र शकुनि, शल्य, स्विन्धुनरेश जयद्रथ, विन्द-अनुविन्द, केकयराजकुमार, काम्बोजराज सुदक्षिण, कलिंगराज श्रुतायुध, राजा जयत्सेन, कोशलनरेश बृहद्वधल तथा भोजवंशी कृतवर्मा--ये दस पुरुषसिंह शूरवीर क्षत्रिय एक-एक अक्षौहिणी सेनाके अधिनायक थे। इनकी भुजाएँ परिघोंके समान मोटी दिखायी देती थीं। इन सबने बड़े-बड़े यज्ञ किये थे और उनमें प्रचुर दक्षिणाएँ दी थीं
daśaite puruṣavyāprāḥ śūrā pari-gha-bāhavaḥ | akṣauhiṇīnāṃ patayo yajvāno bhūri-dakṣiṇāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: These ten energetic men—heroes with arms like iron clubs—were commanders of armies, each the lord of an akṣauhiṇī. They were sacrificers who had performed great rites and bestowed abundant gifts as priestly fees. In the ethical frame of the epic, the verse underscores the paradox of the Kurukṣetra war: men renowned for valor and public piety now stand as leaders in a conflict that will test the very dharma their sacrifices were meant to uphold.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that worldly merit (great sacrifices and generous gifts) and martial excellence can coexist with participation in destructive war; it invites reflection on how dharma is tested when power, prestige, and duty converge on the battlefield.
Sañjaya is describing to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the prominent Kaurava-side leaders who each command an akṣauhiṇī, emphasizing their strength and their reputation as accomplished sacrificers and generous patrons.