Shloka 104

Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ

King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt

Devanagari script

धर्मसंवर्धनार्थाय प्रजज्ञेडन्धकवृष्णिषु । अस्त्रज्ञौ तु महावीर्यों सर्वशास्त्रविशारदौ,उन्होंने ही धर्मकी वृद्धिके लिये अन्धक और वृष्णिकुलमें बलराम और श्रीकृष्णरूपमें अवतार लिया था। वे दोनों भाई सम्पूर्ण अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंके ज्ञाता, महापराक्रमी और समस्त शास्त्रोंके ज्ञानमें परम प्रवीण थे

Transliteration

dharmasaṃvardhanārthāya prajajñe ’ndhakavṛṣṇiṣu | astrājñau tu mahāvīryau sarvaśāstraviśāradau ||

Translation

قال دāśa: من أجل إنماء الدارما وصونها، وُلِدوا في بني أندهكا وبني ڤṛṣṇi. وقد ظهر الأخوان هناك في صورة بالاراما وشري كريشنا—وهما عظيمان في البأس، عارفان بفنون السلاح، راسخان في جميع فروع المعرفة المقدّسة والعملية.

Word by Word

धर्मसंवर्धनार्थायfor the purpose of increasing dharma

प्रजज्ञेwas born / manifested

अन्धकवृष्णिषुamong the Andhakas and Vṛṣṇis

अस्त्रज्ञौknowers of weapons (missile-weapons)

तुindeed / but

महावीर्यौof great prowess

सर्वशास्त्रविशारदौhighly proficient in all śāstras

Speaker

दाश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Daśa

Andhakas

Vṛṣṇis

Balarāma

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

astra (weapons)

śāstra (disciplines/authoritative teachings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the appearance of Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa as dharma-oriented: extraordinary power and mastery of arms are presented as legitimate and beneficial when directed toward the protection and increase of righteous order, guided by comprehensive learning (śāstra).

What is happening in the narrative?

Daśa describes the birth/manifestation of two exceptional brothers within the Andhaka and Vṛṣṇi communities—identified as Balarāma and Śrī Kṛṣṇa—emphasizing their purpose (upholding dharma) and their qualifications (martial expertise and broad scriptural/disciplinary mastery).