Shloka 22
वसुदेव–अर्जुन संवादः
Vasudeva–Arjuna Dialogue in the Aftermath of Dvārakā
अनुजम्मुश्न त॑ वीरं देव्यस्ता वै स्वलंकृता: । स्त्रीसहस्रै: परिवृता वधूभिश्न सहस्रश:
anujam muṣṇata vīraṃ devyās tā vai suvalaṅkṛtāḥ | strīsahasraiḥ parivṛtā vadhūbhiś ca sahasraśaḥ ||
毗湿摩耶那说道：那时，那些盛装华饰的女子便掳走了那位英雄的幼弟，以千百妇女、千百新妇环绕其身而去。此景昭示雅陀婆族大祸之后，克制与秩序的崩塌：欲望与投机取代了依达摩而行的护人护亲之道。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, when protective dharma collapses, society can descend into exploitation: even kin (the ‘younger brother’) become targets, and crowds embolden wrongdoing. It serves as a warning about the ethical vacuum that follows collective ruin.
In the turbulent aftermath described in the Mausala Parva, richly adorned women, in vast numbers, surround and carry off the hero’s younger brother—an image of chaotic abduction and the breakdown of normal safeguards and propriety.