Shloka 22

Kṛṣṇasya asāṃnidhya-kāraṇaṃ — Śālva–Soubha-vṛttāntaḥ

Why Kṛṣṇa was absent; the Śālva and Saubha account

Devanagari script

न कुप्यवेतनी वक्रिन्न चातिक्रान्तवेतनी । नानुग्रहभृतः कश्रिन्न चादृष्टपराक्रम:,कोई भी सैनिक ऐसा नहीं था जिसे सोने-चाँदीके सिवा ताँबा आदि वेतनके रूपमें दिया जाता हो अथवा जिसे समयपर वेतन न प्राप्त हुआ हो। किसी भी सैनिकको दयावश सेनामें भर्ती नहीं किया गया था तथा कोई भी ऐसा न था जिसका पराक्रम बहुत दिनोंसे देखा न गया हो

Transliteration

na kupyavetani vakrin na cātikrāntavetani | nānugrahabhṛtaḥ kaścin na cādṛṣṭaparākramaḥ ||

Translation

قال فايُو-ديفا: «لم يكن فيهم جنديٌّ واحد يُؤدَّى له أجرٌ بخسٌ أو مُبتذَل، ولا أحدٌ تأخّر راتبه. ولم يُجنَّد أحدٌ لمجرّد الشفقة أو المحاباة، ولم يكن فيهم رجلٌ لم تُثبت شجاعتُه من قبل.»

Word by Word

नnot

कुप्य-वेतनीone whose pay is in base metals (copper etc.)

वक्रित्anyone (a person)

नnor/not

चand

अति-क्रान्त-वेतनीone whose pay is overdue/withheld beyond time

नnor/not

अनुग्रह-भृतःone maintained/kept out of favor (pity/indulgence)

कश्चित्anyone, someone

नnor/not

चand

अ-दृष्ट-पराक्रमःone whose valor has not been seen (unproven)

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu (Wind-god)

soldiers (sainika)

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?

A ruler’s force should be sustained by justice: fair and timely wages, and recruitment based on proven merit rather than favoritism or pity. Such governance upholds dharma and strengthens social trust.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva describes the composition and discipline of an army, emphasizing that the troops were properly compensated, not kept in service through patronage, and consisted of warriors whose prowess had already been demonstrated.