Shloka 18
अर्जुनस्य रथाश्वमोचनं कृष्णस्याश्वसेवा च
Arjuna’s Horses Freed; Krishna’s Equine Service
एते चान्ये च बहवो नानाजनपदेश्वरा: । ससैन्यास्त्वाभियास्यन्ति व्येतु ते मानसो ज्वर:,“मैं, सूर्यपुत्र कर्ण, चित्रसेन, विविंशति, भूरिश्रवा, शल, शल्य, दुर्धर्ष वीर वृषसेन, पुरुमित्र, जय, भोज, काम्बोजराज सुदक्षिण, सत्यव्रत, महाबाहु विकर्ण, दुर्मुख, दुःशासन, सुबाहु, अस्त्र-शस्त्रधारी कलिंगराज, अवन्तीके दोनों राजकुमार विन्द और अनुविन्द, द्रोण, अश्वत्थामा और शकुनि--ये तथा और भी बहुत-से नरेश जो विभिन्न देशोंके अधिपति हैं, अपनी सेनाके साथ तुम्हारी रक्षाके लिये चलेंगे। अतः तुम्हारी मानसिक चिन्ता दूर हो जानी चाहिये
ete cānye ca bahavo nānājanapadeśvarāḥ | sasainyās tvābhiyāsyanti vyetu te mānaso jvaraḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “These, and many other kings—lords of diverse realms—will come to you with their armies. Let the fever of anxiety in your mind be dispelled.” In the ethical frame of the epic, the line underscores how rulers seek reassurance through alliances and military strength, even as inner fear and moral uncertainty persist beneath outward preparations for war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
External support—kings and armies—can calm immediate fear, yet the verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata tension: political reassurance aims to remove mental ‘fever,’ even when deeper ethical and karmic consequences of war remain unresolved.
Sañjaya reports that many rulers from different regions will come with their forces to support the addressed party, urging that the listener’s mental anxiety should subside because reinforcements and protection are assured.