Śiśupāla’s Protest Against the Arghya to Kṛṣṇa (शिशुपाल-आक्षेपः)
स तु सर्वे: सह म्लेच्छै: सागरानूपवासिभि: | पर्वतीयाश्व॒ राजानो राजा चैव बृहद्धल:
sa tu sarvaiḥ saha mlecchaiḥ sāgarānūpavāsibhiḥ | parvatīyāś ca rājāno rājā caiva bṛhaddhalaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: Ele, junto com todos os chefes mleccha e os povos que habitavam junto ao mar e nas regiões pantanosas, e também os reis das terras montanhosas — juntamente com o rei Bṛhaddhala — vieram como parte daquela reunião.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights the expansive reach of political power and summons: even distant or socially marked groups (mlecchas, coastal and marshland dwellers, hill-kings) are drawn into the epic’s central arena. Ethically, it hints that major decisions and conflicts implicate a broad human landscape, not only the elite at the center.
Vaiśampāyana is listing those who came together—various groups and rulers from different terrains—specifically noting Mleccha chiefs, coastal and marshland inhabitants, mountain kings, and King Bṛhaddhala as part of the assembled participants.