Shloka 38
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
ततो गजा: सप्तशताक्षापपाणिभिरास्थिता: । पज्च चाश्वसहस्राणि सहदेवश्व वीर्यवान्
tato gajāḥ saptaśatākṣāpapāṇibhir āsthitāḥ | pañca cāśvasahasrāṇi sahadevaś ca vīryavān | tad-anantaraṃ dharmarājasya ājñānusāraṃ haste dhanuḥ dhṛtvā upaviṣṭaiḥ savāraiḥ yuktaḥ saptaśatā gajāḥ, pañca-sahasrāṇi aśvārūḍhāḥ, vīryavān sahadevaḥ, trīṇi sahasrāṇi padātayaḥ, draupadyāḥ sarve putrāś ca—ete sarve raṇabhūmau yuddha-durmadam śakunim abhidadhāvuḥ
ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ແລ້ວຊ້າງເຈັດຮ້ອຍໂຕ ທີ່ມີນັກທະນູນັ່ງຂີ່ ຖືຄັນທະນູໃນມື, ແລະກອງມ້າຫ້າພັນ ໄດ້ເຄື່ອນພົ້ນໄປຂ້າງໜ້າ—ພ້ອມດ້ວຍສະຫະເທວະຜູ້ກ້າຫານ, ທະຫານຍ່າງຕີນສາມພັນ, ແລະບຸດທັງໝົດຂອງດຣົບະດີ. ດ້ວຍການປະຕິບັດຕາມຄໍາສັ່ງຂອງທັມມະຣາຊາ, ພວກເຂົາໄດ້ພຸ້ນຂ້າມສະໜາມຮົບ ເຂົ້າຈູ່ໂຈມ ຊະກຸນິ ຜູ້ຫຍິ່ງຜະຍອງດ້ວຍຄວາມຄືກຄືນແຫ່ງສົງຄາມ.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined action under rightful authority: warriors move in coordinated obedience to Dharmarāja’s command. Ethically, it contrasts ordered, duty-bound warfare with Śakuni’s broader association with adharma—especially deceit—showing how dharmic leadership seeks to restrain chaos even amid violence.
Sañjaya reports a coordinated assault: seven hundred war-elephants with bow-bearing riders, five thousand cavalry, Sahadeva, three thousand infantry, and Draupadī’s sons surge forward on the battlefield to attack Śakuni, described as swollen with war-pride.