Shloka 3
Adhyāya 152: Kaurava-sainyavibhāgaḥ
Division and Standardization of the Kaurava Host
महेन्द्रमिव चादित्यैरभिगुप्तं महारथै: । श्र॒ुत्वा दुर्योधनो राजा किं कार्य प्रत्यपद्यत
mahendram iva cādityair abhiguptaṁ mahārathaiḥ | śrutvā duryodhano rājā kiṁ kārya pratyapadyata ||
Janamejaya bertanya: “Wahai resi, apabila Raja Duryodhana mendengar bahawa Yudhiṣṭhira—dikelilingi ramai maharathi dan dijaga bagaikan Indra yang dikepung para Āditya—telah tiba di Kurukṣetra bersama bala tenteranya dan mendirikan perkemahan, apakah tindakan yang diambilnya?”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral-political dilemma: when confronted with a rival who is strongly supported and well-protected, a ruler must choose his response carefully. It implicitly raises the ethical question of whether one should persist in adharma-driven hostility or seek a dharma-aligned resolution through prudent counsel and restraint.
Janamejaya asks the sage to narrate Duryodhana’s next move after hearing that Yudhiṣṭhira has arrived at Kurukṣetra with a formidable alliance of great warriors, guarded in a manner likened to Indra surrounded by the Ādityas.