Shloka 50
Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ
Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit
कर्णेन सार्ध राजेन्द्र सौबलेन च देविना । दुःशासनादयश्चास्य भ्रातर: सर्व एव ते,राजेन्द्र! कर्ण तथा द्यूतकृशल शकुनिके साथ दुःशासन आदि सब भाई, भूरिश्रवा, सोमदत्त तथा महाराज बाह्नीक--ये सभी कुरुकुलरत्न नाना प्रकारके रथों, गजराजों तथा घोड़ोंपर बैठकर राजसिंह दुर्योधनके पीछे-पीछे चल रहे थे। जनमेजय! थोड़े समयमें उन सबने अपनी राजधानी हस्तिनापुरमें प्रवेश किया
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
karṇena sārdha rājendra saubalenā ca devinā |
duḥśāsanādayaś cāsya bhrātaraḥ sarva eva te ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O king, together with Karṇa and with the Saubala (Śakuni), and with the rest of his brothers beginning with Duḥśāsana—all of them—(they followed him). The verse situates Duryodhana’s party as a unified retinue, emphasizing the consolidation of power through kinship and alliance, a cohesion that will later intensify adharma-driven decisions and their consequences.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective resolve—especially when formed through alliances and family bonds—can amplify the moral direction of a leader. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, unity is not inherently virtuous; when centered on envy, coercion, or deceit, it becomes a force that accelerates adharma and its karmic fallout.
Vaiśampāyana lists the principal members of Duryodhana’s entourage—Karna, Śakuni, and the Kaurava brothers led by Duḥśāsana—indicating that they are together as a group accompanying him, setting up the next narrative movement involving their coordinated actions.