Shloka 9
Virāṭa’s Mobilization to Recover the Cattle (गोधनरक्षणार्थ विराटस्य सैन्यसमायोजनम्)
“मैं समझता हूँ; इसके लिये उपयुक्त अवसर प्राप्त हुआ है। यह हमारे लिये अत्यन्त आवश्यक कार्य है। हम प्रचुर धन-धान्यसे सम्पन्न मत्स्यराष्ट्रपर चढ़ाई करें ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca | “manye; asya kṛte yuktam avasaram prāptam asti | etad asmākaṁ atyantaṁ āvaśyakaṁ kāryam | vayaṁ prabhūta-dhana-dhānya-sampannaṁ matsya-rāṣṭram abhyāyāmaḥ || ādādāmo ’sya ratnāni vividhāni vasūni ca | grāmān rāṣṭrāṇi vā tasya hariṣyāmo vibhāgaśaḥ || rājā virāṭa—iha nānā-vidhāni ratnāni dhanaṁ ca santi | tāni sarvāṇi gṛhītvā tasya grāmān samagraṁ rāṣṭraṁ ca jitvā parasparaṁ vibhajiṣyāmaḥ”
Vaiśampāyana disse: “A meu ver, chegou o momento oportuno para isso. É uma tarefa de urgente necessidade para nós. Marchemos contra o reino de Matsya, rico em grãos e em riquezas. Tomaremos suas muitas espécies de joias e bens valiosos; levaremos suas aldeias e até todo o seu reino, dividindo os despojos entre nós. O rei Virāṭa possui aqui abundantes tesouros e riquezas—tomando tudo, conquistando seus povoados e o país inteiro, repartiremos tudo entre nós.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical danger of framing aggression and plunder as “necessary work” and “timely opportunity.” It implicitly contrasts expedient, wealth-driven conquest with dharmic restraint, reminding readers how greed and political calculation can normalize adharma.
The speaker (as narrated by Vaiśampāyana) reports a proposal to attack the prosperous Matsya kingdom ruled by Virāṭa, seize jewels and valuables, and divide the captured villages and territory among the attackers as shares of booty.