Shloka 213
अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit
अभ्ययु: सहिता: पार्थ प्रगृहीतशरासना: । उसकी सेनामें हाथी
abhyayuḥ sahitāḥ pārtha pragṛhītaśarāsanāḥ |
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。弓矢を手に備え、武者たちは一つに結束してアルジュナへと突撃した。その軍勢は象・馬・戦車に満ち、旗幟と旌旗の連なりで華やかに飾られていた。ガンダーラの戦士たちは、王シャクニの死の報を聞くや憤激に燃え、ゆえに武器を取り、ひと塊となってアルジュナを襲わんと押し寄せた。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how news of a leader’s death can inflame collective anger and drive retaliatory violence. Ethically, it illustrates the peril of acting from amarsa (indignant wrath): it unites people quickly, but often toward destructive ends, showing the tension between kṣatriya duty in battle and the moral cost of vengeance.
Gandhāra warriors, enraged after hearing that King Śakuni has been slain, assemble and launch a coordinated attack on Arjuna. Their army is described as a full combined force with elephants, horses, and chariots, decorated with banners and flags, advancing with weapons ready.