Shloka 4
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 65 — Duḥśāsana’s Elephant Corps Engages Arjuna; Retreat to the Śakaṭa-vyūha
हिरण्यकवचा: सर्वे सर्वे चोत्तमधन्विन: । सर्वेडश्चवमेधैरीजाना: कुमारा: शशबिन्दव:,शशबिन्दुके उन सभी पुत्रोंने सोनेके कवच धारण कर रखे थे। वे सब उत्तम धनुर्धर थे और अश्वमेध-यज्ञोंका अनुष्ठान कर चुके थे
hiraṇyakavacāḥ sarve sarve cottamadhanvinaḥ | sarve daśāśvamedhair ijānāḥ kumārāḥ śaśabindavaḥ ||
Nārada said: All those princes, the sons of Śaśabindu, wore golden cuirasses. Each of them was an excellent archer, and all had performed many Aśvamedha sacrifices. The description underscores their royal legitimacy, martial excellence, and ritual merit—yet such worldly splendor and sacrificial prestige do not, by themselves, guarantee righteous conduct or safety amid the moral upheaval of war.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the height of worldly excellence—wealth (golden armor), skill (supreme archery), and ritual prestige (multiple Aśvamedhas)—while implicitly reminding that such attainments are not identical with dharma; ethical rightness and the outcomes of war are not secured merely by power or sacrifice.
Nārada is describing the princes who are the sons of Śaśabindu: they are magnificently equipped, renowned archers, and celebrated for having performed many royal sacrifices, establishing their status and formidable presence within the broader war narrative.