Shloka 18
धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)
म्लेच्छाक्ष शतसाहसत्रा: शकाश्न यवनै: सह । सुदक्षिणश्न काम्बोजस्त्रिगर्ताधिपतिस्तथा
mlecchākṣaśatasāhastrāḥ śakāś ca yavanaiḥ saha | sudakṣiṇaś ca kāmbojas trigartādhipatis tathā ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Ada ratusan ribu kaum Mleccha; dan kaum Śaka bersama kaum Yavana; juga kaum Kāmboja dari wilayah selatan, serta raja bagi Trigarta.”
धघतयाट्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse conveys the immense breadth of the war’s mobilization: many peoples and rulers, including frontier groups, are drawn into the conflict. Ethically, it heightens the sense of collective responsibility and the tragic, far-reaching consequences of adharma-driven rivalry.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra is recounting the composition and magnitude of the forces involved, listing various groups—Mlecchas, Śakas, Yavanas, Kāmbojas, and the ruler of Trigarta—who are present as part of the war’s assembled hosts.