Shloka 4
Bhīmasena’s Eastern Digvijaya and the Cedi Reception
Sabhā-parva 26
आनर्तान् कालकूटांश्व कुलिन्दांश्न विजित्य सः । सुमण्डलं च विजितं कृतवान् सहसैनिकम्,कुलिन्दोंके साथ-साथ कालकूट और आनर्त देशके राजाओंको जीतकर सेनासहित राजा सुमण्डलको भी जीत लिया
ānartān kālakūṭāṁś ca kulindāṁś ca vijitya saḥ | sumaṇḍalaṁ ca vijitaṁ kṛtavān sahasainikam ||
Vaiśampāyana thưa: “Sau khi khuất phục các vua xứ Ānarta, Kālakūṭa và Kulinda, chàng lại chinh phục cả vua Sumaṇḍala cùng toàn quân của ông ta.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reflects the epic’s political realism: royal authority is often consolidated through conquest of neighboring realms. It implicitly invites reflection on the responsibilities and ethical limits of power, even when victory is celebrated as a marker of sovereignty.
The narrator reports a sequence of victories: after defeating the rulers of Ānarta, Kālakūṭa, and Kulinda, the protagonist further subdues King Sumaṇḍala along with his forces, indicating a continuing campaign of expansion.