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Shloka 20

सेनासमागमः — The Convergence of Armies

तेषामक्षौहिणी सेना बहुला विबभौ तदा

teṣām akṣauhiṇī senā bahulā vibabhau tadā

Kemudian tentera mereka—yang terhitung dalam akṣauhiṇī yang lengkap—tampak amat besar dan menggentarkan, menandakan gelombang yang kian memuncak menuju perang serta beban dharma yang berat pada pertikaian yang hampir meletus.

तेषाम्of them
तेषाम्:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formmasculine/neuter, genitive, plural
अक्षौहिणीconsisting of an akṣauhiṇī (a full army-division)
अक्षौहिणी:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअक्षौहिणी
Formfeminine, nominative, singular
सेनाarmy
सेना:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसेना
Formfeminine, nominative, singular
बहुलाgreat, abundant, numerous
बहुला:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootबहुल
Formfeminine, nominative, singular
विबभौshone forth, appeared splendid
विबभौ:
TypeVerb
Rootभा
Formperfect (liṭ), 3rd, singular
तदाthen, at that time
तदा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा

वैशमग्पायन उवाच

A
akṣauhiṇī (army division)
S
senā (army)

Educational Q&A

The verse underscores how the sheer magnitude of armed power can become a visible sign of impending adharma-driven escalation: when forces gather in overwhelming numbers, the ethical stakes intensify, and the responsibility to seek peace and restraint becomes even more urgent.

Vaiśaṃpāyana describes the assembled forces as an akṣauhiṇī-based host that looks immense and formidable at that moment, emphasizing the scale of mobilization as the story moves toward open conflict.