Shloka 46
Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ
Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit
रथनागाश्वकलिलां पदातिजनसंकुलाम् | गज्जौघप्रतिमा राजन् सा प्रयाता महाचमू:,दैत्योंके पूर्वोिक्त कथनको याद करके नरश्रेष्ठ दुर्योधनने पाण्डवोंसे युद्ध करनेका पक्का विचार कर लिया और फिर हस्तिनापुर जानेके लिये रथ, हाथी, घोड़े और पैदल सैनिकोंसे युक्त अपनी चतुरंगिणी सेनाको तैयार होनेकी आज्ञा दी। राजन्! वह विशाल वाहिनी गंगाके प्रवाहके समान चलने लगी
rathanāgāśvakalilāṁ padātijana-saṅkulām | gajjaugha-pratimā rājan sā prayātā mahācamūḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O King, that great army—thick with chariots, elephants, and horses, and crowded with masses of foot-soldiers—advanced, resembling a vast herd of elephants.” In context, the verse underscores how a hardened resolve for war quickly takes concrete form as organized force; once the will turns toward conflict, the machinery of violence gathers momentum and begins to move like an unstoppable current.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how intention crystallizes into action: when a ruler’s resolve turns toward war, resources and people rapidly assemble into an overwhelming force. Ethically, it warns that decisions at the level of will and policy can unleash large-scale consequences that become difficult to restrain once set in motion.
Vaiśampāyana describes a massive fourfold army—chariots, elephants, horses, and infantry—moving out in formation. The host is portrayed as densely packed and formidable, likened to a great herd or surge of elephants as it advances.