Shloka 27
जयद्रथविमोचन–पलायनवृत्तान्तः
Recovery of Draupadī and Jayadratha’s flight
न हि ते पाण्डवा: सर्वे कलाम्हन्ति षोडशीम् । अन्ये वा पुरुषव्याप्र राजानो5भ्युदितोदिता:,'पुरुषसिंह! वे समस्त पाण्डव अथवा अन्य श्रेष्ठठटम नरेश तुम्हारी सोलहवीं कलाके बराबर भी नहीं हो सकते
na hi te pāṇḍavāḥ sarve kalām arhanti ṣoḍaśīm | anye vā puruṣavyāghra rājāno ’bhyuditoditāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “De fato, todos aqueles Pāṇḍava juntos não valem sequer a décima sexta parte da tua excelência. Nem outros reis—por mais afamados e celebrados—são teus iguais, ó tigre entre os homens.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the idiom of “a sixteenth part” to stress disproportionate excellence: fame and even collective strength do not automatically equal true superiority. Ethically, it highlights how reputation (abhyuditoditāḥ) can be invoked, yet genuine merit is presented as surpassing public acclaim.
Vaiśaṃpāyana, narrating to Janamejaya, reports a statement of emphatic praise addressed to a foremost hero (“puruṣavyāghra”), asserting that even the Pāṇḍavas—and other celebrated kings—cannot match even a small fraction of his prowess or stature.