Shloka 25
Adhyāya 152: Kaurava-sainyavibhāgaḥ
Division and Standardization of the Kaurava Host
जनौघसलिलावर्तो रथनागाश्चमीनवान् | शड्खदुन्दुभिनिर्धोष: कोशसंचयरत्नवान्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | janaugha-salilāvarto ratha-nāgāśva-mīnavān | śaṅkha-dundubhi-nirdhoṣaḥ kośa-saṃcaya-ratnavān, rājan |
वैशम्पायन उवाच—राजन्, जनौघः सलिलावर्त इवाभात्; रथनागाश्वाश्च तस्मिन्निव मीनाः सञ्चरन्त इव दृश्यन्ते स्म। शङ्खदुन्दुभिनिर्घोषस्तस्य गर्जितमिवाभवत्, कोशसञ्चयश्च रत्नराशिरिव। एवं सैन्यसमुदायचन्द्रस्योदये दुर्योधनमहार्णव इव कुरुसैन्यसमूहः बलवैभवसमृद्ध्या समुच्छ्वसितोऽतिरमणीयोऽपि भयावहपूर्वसूचकः प्रादृश्यत।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a grand ocean-metaphor to show how collective power, noise, and wealth can intoxicate a kingdom; it subtly warns that such swelling pride and militarized excitement can carry society toward destructive conflict.
Vaiśampāyana describes the Kuru preparations and the massed assembly in vivid imagery: the crowd swirls like a whirlpool, war-vehicles and animals move like fish, conches and drums roar like the sea, and accumulated treasure appears like jewels—building the atmosphere before the outbreak of war.