Shloka 19
Parīkṣit-janma-saṃkaṭa and Kuntī’s petition to Vāsudeva (परिक्षिज्जन्मसंकटं कुन्त्याः प्रार्थना च)
शकटानि रथाश्रैव तावदेव करेणव: । खराणां पुरुषाणां च परिसंख्या न विद्यते
śakaṭāni rathāś caiva tāvad eva kareṇavaḥ | kharāṇāṃ puruṣāṇāṃ ca parisaṃkhyā na vidyate, mahārāja |
毗湿摩耶那说道：“车与战车亦复如是，其数相等；母象亦同其数。然而大王啊，驴与人之数，已不可计。”此颂强调筹备与动员之浩繁——大到连点数都无从下手——并暗示王业背后所承载的重负与无数人力的劳作。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how royal undertakings can reach such magnitude that they exceed ordinary measures of accounting, implicitly drawing attention to the vast material resources and human labor required—and inviting reflection on restraint, responsibility, and the ethical weight of power.
Vaiśampāyana is describing the enormous numbers of vehicles and animals involved; carts, chariots, and female elephants are said to be in equal measure, while the donkeys and the men are so numerous that they cannot be counted.