Shloka 24
Śaineya’s Breakthrough and Reunion with Arjuna (शैनेयस्य समागमः)
न चायोधो5भवत् कश्चिन्मम सैन्ये तु संजय । अल्पदानभृतस्तात तथा चाभूतको नर:,तात संजय! मेरी सेनामें ऐसा एक भी योद्धा नहीं रहा होगा जिसे थोड़ा वेतन दिया जाता हो अथवा बिना वेतनके ही रखा गया हो
na cāyodho 'bhavat kaścin mama sainye tu sañjaya | alpādānabhṛtas tāta tathā cābhūtako naraḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O Sañjaya, in my army there was not a single warrior who was without pay; nor was there any man maintained on a mere pittance, or kept without wages.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a ruler’s responsibility to maintain and compensate those who serve in war. It frames military service as organized and remunerated, implying an ethical duty of leadership: those who are commanded to risk life should not be neglected, underpaid, or kept without support.
In the midst of the Drona Parva war-reporting, Sañjaya conveys a statement about the composition and upkeep of the army: there were no fighters who were unpaid or merely sustained on a token allowance—suggesting the force was fully retained and properly maintained.