Shloka 14
धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas
तूणाश्मानं वाजिरथप्रवाहां ध्वजद्रुमै: संवृतकूलरोधसम् । पदातिनागैर्बहुकर्दमां नदीं सपत्ननाशे नृपति: प्रयोजयेत्
tūṇāśmānaṃ vājirathapravāhāṃ dhvajadrumaiḥ saṃvṛtakūlarodhasam | padātināgair bahukardamāṃ nadīṃ sapatnanāśe nṛpatiḥ prayojayet ||
धृतराष्ट्र म्हणाले—प्रतिस्पर्धी शत्रूंच्या विनाशासाठी राजा आपली सेना नदीसारखी प्रवर्तवावी. जिच्यात भाते दगडांच्या खंडांसारखे, घोडे व रथ वेगवान प्रवाहासारखे; जिचे काठ ध्वज-रूपी वृक्षांनी आच्छादित; आणि जिच्या आत पायदळ व हत्ती गाढ, चिकट चिखलासारखे भासतात. अशी ‘सेना-नदी’ चालवून शत्रूचा नाश करावा.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a strategic image of royal power: a king must deploy his forces decisively and in an organized way to neutralize hostile rivals. Ethically, it reflects the kṣatriya-world view where protection of the realm may require force, but it also warns (by its vividness) how war becomes an overwhelming, engulfing force like a flood.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks in the Ashramavāsika context, using a striking metaphor: he compares an army to a river whose components are mapped onto military units and equipment, describing how a king would use such a force to destroy enemies.