Shloka 13
Rukmī’s Offer of Aid and Arjuna’s Refusal (रुक्मिप्रस्तावः—अर्जुनप्रत्याख्यानम्)
पर्वतानां यथा मेरु: सुपर्ण: पक्षिणां यथा । कुमार इव देवानां वसूनामिव हव्यवाट्
parvatānāṁ yathā meruḥ suparṇaḥ pakṣiṇāṁ yathā | kumāra iva devānāṁ vasūnām iva havyavāṭ ||
جیسے پہاڑوں میں مِیرو، پرندوں میں سُپرن (گرُڑ)، دیوتاؤں میں کُمار (کارتیکیہ) اور وَسُوؤں میں ہویَوَاط (اگنی) سردار ہیں—ویسے ہی آپ ہماری تمام فوجوں کے سالار اور محافظ ہوں۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses well-known divine and cosmic exemplars of supremacy and guardianship to frame an ethical ideal of command: a leader should be foremost in excellence and steadfast in protection of those entrusted to him.
In the Udyoga Parva’s mobilization context, the speaker (as narrated by Vaiśampāyana) conveys a formal praise and request: the addressed person is urged to become the chief commander and protector of the assembled forces, likened to Meru, Garuḍa, Kārttikeya, and Agni in their respective domains.