Shloka 24
Rājasūya-sambhāra: Prosperity under Rājadharma and the Initiation of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Sacrifice
समुद्रसेनं निर्जित्य चन्द्रसेनं च पार्थिवम् । ताम्रलिप्तं च राजानं कर्वटाधिपतिं तथा
samudrasenaṁ nirjitya candrasenaṁ ca pārthivam | tāmrāliptaṁ ca rājānaṁ karvaṭādhipatiṁ tathā ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: Tendo derrotado Samudrasena e também o rei Candrasena, Bhīmasena subjugou ainda o soberano de Tāmrālipta e o senhor de Karvaṭa. Depois, trouxe sob seu domínio as comunidades mleccha que viviam ao longo do litoral—episódio que ressalta a expansão de uma soberania legítima pelos Pāṇḍava em preparação para o rito imperial, ao mesmo tempo em que reflete a tensão épica entre consolidação política e as responsabilidades éticas da conquista.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya duty of establishing orderly sovereignty as part of a larger dharmic project (the Rājasūya). Conquest is presented not as mere aggression but as political integration that carries ethical obligations: the victor must govern justly and restrain violence once submission is achieved.
Vaiśampāyana narrates Bhīma’s campaign of subjugation: he defeats kings named Samudrasena and Candrasena, then brings Tāmrālipta and Karvaṭa under control, and subsequently subdues coastal Mleccha groups—expanding Yudhiṣṭhira’s sphere of authority in preparation for the imperial sacrifice.