Shloka 20
Kuru-Sainika-Āśvāsana and Vijayaghoṣaṇa
Reassuring the Kuru Soldiers; Proclaiming Victory
तीक्षणशस्त्रमहाग्राहां क्रव्यादगणसेविताम् । मुक्ताहारोरमिकलिलां चित्रालंकारबुद्बुदाम्
tīkṣṇaśastramahāgrāhāṁ kravyādagaṇasevitām | muktāhāroramikalilāṁ citrālaṅkārabudbudām ||
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: “ມັນປາກົດຄືພື້ນນ້ຳອັນອັນຕະລາຍ ທີ່ອາວຸດຄົມແຫຼມເປັນດັ່ງຈະເຂ້ໃຫຍ່; ແລະມີຝູງສັດກິນເນື້ອມາຊຸມນຸມ. ສາຍຄໍໄຂ່ມຸກຄ້າຍຄືຄື້ນທີ່ກົດກຽວ, ແລະເຄື່ອງປະດັບຫຼາກຫຼາຍຄ້າຍຄືຟອງນ້ຳທີ່ຜຸດຂຶ້ນ.” ພາບນີ້ຊີ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນບັນຍາກາດແຫ່ງອັນຕະລາຍ ແລະການລ່າກິນ: ຄວາມງາມພາຍນອກ (ໄຂ່ມຸກ ແລະເຄື່ອງປະດັບ) ກົດທັບຄວາມເປັນຈິງພາຍໃນອັນເປັນຄວາມຮຸນແຮງ ແລະຄວາມຕາຍ.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches discernment: dazzling external beauty (pearls, ornaments) can coexist with, or even mask, lethal danger (weapons, predators). Ethically, it warns against being captivated by surface splendor when the underlying reality is violent or corrupt.
Vaiśampāyana describes a frightening scene through metaphor: sharp weapons are likened to huge crocodiles, carnivorous beings are said to inhabit the place, and pearls and ornaments are compared to waves and bubbles—creating a vivid picture of a dangerous environment that nonetheless appears glittering.