Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एवमेव तदा वीर बलिभि: कुकुरान्धकै: । वृष्णिभ्रिश्न महाराज नीतिहेतोरुपेक्षित:,वीरवर महाराज! इस प्रकार नीतिका पालन करनेके लिये ही उस समय बलवान कुकुर, अन्धक और वृष्णिवंशके योद्धाओंने जरासंधकी उपेक्षा कर दी

Transliteration

evam eva tadā vīra balibhiḥ kukurāndhakaiḥ | vṛṣṇibhiś ca mahārāja nīti-hetor upekṣitaḥ ||

Translation

وهكذا في ذلك الحين—أيها البطل، أيها الملك العظيم—تعمّد المحاربون الأقوياء من الكوكورا والأندهكا والڤريشنِي أن يتغافلوا عن جاراسنده، لا لشيء إلا صونًا لـ«نيتي»؛ أي الحصافة السياسية والسياسة القويمة.

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

एवindeed, just

तदाthen, at that time

वीरO hero

बलिभिःby the strong (men)

कुकुर-अन्धकैःby the Kukuras and Andhakas

वृष्णिभिःby the Vrishnis

चand

महाराजO great king

नीति-हेतोःfor the sake of policy/duty

उपेक्षितःwas neglected/ignored

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Jarāsandha

Kukuru (clan)

Andhaka (clan)

Vṛṣṇi (clan)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights nīti—prudent, ethically informed statecraft—showing that even powerful groups may choose strategic restraint or deliberate non-engagement when it best serves righteous policy and long-term order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana states that, at that time, the strong warriors of the Kukuras, Andhakas, and Vṛṣṇis collectively chose to disregard Jarāsandha, doing so intentionally for reasons of nīti (political-ethical prudence).