Shloka 24
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ९३: कृष्णस्य धृतराष्ट्रोपदेशः
Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel to Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the Assembly
गजा: पञ्चशतास्तत्र रथाश्चासन् सहस्रश: । प्रयान्तमन्वयुर्वीरं दाशाहमपराजितम्,किसीसे पराजित न होनेवाले दशार्हवंशी वीर भगवान् श्रीकृष्णके पीछे उस यात्राके समय पाँच सौ हाथी और सहस्रों रथ जा रहे थे
gajāḥ pañcaśatās tatra rathāś cāsan sahasraśaḥ | prayāntam anvayur vīraṃ dāśārham aparājitam ||
ആ യാത്രയിൽ ആരാലും പരാജയപ്പെടാത്ത ദാശാർഹവംശീയനായ വീരൻ ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണനെ പിന്തുടർന്ന് അഞ്ചുനൂറ് ആനകളും ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് രഥങ്ങളും നീങ്ങി।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma in statecraft is not merely moral speech but responsible action supported by legitimate authority. Kṛṣṇa’s ‘unconquered’ stature and the large escort signal that righteous counsel in a crisis must be backed by credibility, preparedness, and the capacity to enforce peace if persuasion fails.
As Kṛṣṇa proceeds on his journey (in the Udyoga Parva context of negotiations and impending war), a vast retinue—five hundred elephants and thousands of chariots—follows him, emphasizing the scale of the expedition and the political-military significance of his movement.