सुदक्षिणश् च काम्बोजो यवनैश् च शकैस् तथा ॥
उपाजगाम कौरव्यम् अक्षौहिण्या विशां पते ॥
तस्य सेनासमावायः शलभानाम् इवाबभौ ॥
स च संप्राप्य कौरव्यं तत्रैवान्तर्दधे तदा ॥
तथा माहिष्मतीवासी नीलो नीलायुधैः सह ॥
महीपालो महावीर्यैर् दक्षिणापथवासिभिः ॥
आवन्त्यौ च महीपालौ महाबलसुसंवृतौ ॥
पृथग् अक्षौहिणीभ्यां ताव् अभियातौ सुयोधनम् ॥
केकयाश् च नरव्याघ्राः सोदर्याः पञ्च पार्थिवाः ॥
संहर्षयन्तः कौरव्यम् अक्षौहिण्या समाद्रवन् ॥
sudakṣiṇaś ca kāmbojo yavanaiś ca śakais tathā ||
upājagāma kauravyam akṣauhiṇyā viśāṃ pate ||
tasya senāsamāvāyaḥ śalabhānām ivābabhau ||
sa ca saṃprāpya kauravyaṃ tatraivāntardadhe tadā ||
tathā māhiṣmatīvāsī nīlo nīlāyudhaiḥ saha ||
mahīpālo mahāvīryair dakṣiṇāpathavāsibhiḥ ||
āvantyau ca mahīpālau mahābalasusaṃvṛtau ||
pṛthag akṣauhiṇībhyāṃ tāv abhiyātau suyodhanam ||
kekayāś ca naravyāghrāḥ sodaryāḥ pañca pārthivāḥ ||
saṃharṣayantaḥ kauravyam akṣauhiṇyā samādravan ||
And Sudakshina, king of Kamboja, O lord of men, came to the chief of the Kurus with an akshauhini of troops, accompanied by Yavanas and Shakas. And the body of his army, resembling a swarm of locusts, was absorbed and lost within the might of the Kurus when it met them. In the same way King Nila, dweller of the city of Mahishmati, came with mighty warriors of the southern land, armed with splendid weapons. And the two kings of Avanti, attended by a mighty force, each brought to Duryodhana a separate akshauhini of troops. And these tigers among men, the five royal brothers, the princes of Kekaya, hastened to Duryodhana with an akshauhini of troops and gladdened his heart.
656c6eb1f985 · published Jul 17, 2026, 3:31:49 AM UTC
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This passage (5.19.21–25) develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace is already unfolding against the backdrop of an unavoidable war. Here dharma reveals itself through speech, through the choice of an embassy, through faithfulness to one's word, and through the responsibility kings bear for the consequences of their decisions.