Shloka 25

Adhyāya 152: Kaurava-sainyavibhāgaḥ

Division and Standardization of the Kaurava Host

Devanagari script

जनौघसलिलावर्तो रथनागाश्चमीनवान्‌ | शड्खदुन्दुभिनिर्धोष: कोशसंचयरत्नवान्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | janaugha-salilāvarto ratha-nāgāśva-mīnavān | śaṅkha-dundubhi-nirdhoṣaḥ kośa-saṃcaya-ratnavān, rājan |

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「大王よ、その莫大な人々の集まりは、海をかき乱す渦潮のように見えた。戦車、象、馬は、その中を泳ぐ魚のごとくであった。法螺貝の響きと戦鼓の轟きは海の咆哮となり、積み上げられた宝蔵は宝玉の山を思わせた。このように、武の昂ぶりに膨れ上がるクル族の軍勢は、力と富をもってうねり立つ大海として描かれる。その眩い壮観は、驕りの道徳的危うさと迫り来る戦を予兆している。」

Word by Word

• जनौघ: a mass/stream of people
• जनौघ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन + ओघ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सलिल: with water
• सलिल: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• आवर्तः: a whirlpool/eddy
• आवर्तः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवर्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रथ: chariots
• रथ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नागाः: elephants
• नागाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अश्व: horses
• अश्व: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मीना: fish
• मीना: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मीन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वान्: possessing; endowed with
• वान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शङ्ख: of conches
• शङ्ख: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• दुन्दुभि: of kettle-drums
• दुन्दुभि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुन्दुभि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• निर्धोषः: roar; loud sound
• निर्धोषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्धोष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कोश: of treasuries
• कोश: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• संचय: accumulation; collection
• संचय: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संचय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रत्न: jewels
• रत्न: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• वान्: possessing; endowed with
• वान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king!
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• King (rājan)
• people/crowd (janaugha)
• chariots (ratha)
• elephants (nāga)
• horses (aśva)
• conches (śaṅkha)
• kettledrums (dundubhi)
• treasuries/wealth (kośa-saṃcaya)
• jewels (ratna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a grand ocean-metaphor to show how collective power, noise, and wealth can intoxicate a kingdom; it subtly warns that such swelling pride and militarized excitement can carry society toward destructive conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the Kuru preparations and the massed assembly in vivid imagery: the crowd swirls like a whirlpool, war-vehicles and animals move like fish, conches and drums roar like the sea, and accumulated treasure appears like jewels—building the atmosphere before the outbreak of war.