Shloka 88
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
वनवासोडर्जुनस्यापि सुभद्राहरणं तत: । हरणाहरणं चैव दहनं खाण्डवस्य च
vanavāso ’rjunasyāpi subhadrāharaṇaṃ tataḥ | haraṇāharaṇaṃ caiva dahanaṃ khāṇḍavasya ca ||
अर्जुनाच्या वनवासाचेही वर्णन आहे; त्यानंतर सुभद्रेचे हरण, हरण-प्रतिहरण (अपहरण व प्रत्याहरण), आणि खाण्डववनाचे दहनही आहे.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how major turning points arise from choices made under social codes—exile endured as a consequence of vows and agreements, marriage pursued through forceful kṣatriya custom, and large-scale destruction (Khāṇḍava burning) that brings both immediate gains and lasting ethical burden. It invites reflection on how dharma is contested in practice and how actions generate consequences beyond intent.
A speaker lists key events in sequence: Arjuna’s forest exile, the abduction of Subhadrā leading to conflict and resolution (taking and counter-taking), and the burning of the Khāṇḍava forest. The line functions as a compact catalogue of episodes that shape alliances, enmities, and the trajectory toward later war.