Shloka 24

Vyāsa’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira: Pratismṛti-vidyā, Arjuna’s Aśtra-Quest, and the Move to Kāmyaka

Devanagari script

कृष्णोवाच यत्‌ ते कुन्ती महाबाहो जातस्यैच्छद्‌ धनंजय

Transliteration

kṛṣṇo vāca yat te kuntī mahābāho jātasyaicchad dhanaṃjaya

Translation

قال كريشنا: «يا دهنَنْجَيا ذا الساعدين القويّين، ما كانت كونتي قد تمنّته لك حين وُلدت…»

Word by Word

• कृष्णः: Krishna
• कृष्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यत्: which/that (thing)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• कुन्ती: O Kunti
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुन्ती
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• जातस्य: of the born one / of him who was born
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• ऐच्छत्: desired / wished
• ऐच्छत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Imperfect (Anadyatana-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धनंजय: O Dhananjaya (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Kuntī
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line frames a moral-narrative point: a mother’s intention and blessing at a child’s birth is invoked as an ethical reference for the hero’s later conduct—linking personal destiny with dharma and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports Kṛṣṇa beginning a statement addressed to Arjuna (Dhanañjaya), introducing what Kuntī wished for him at his birth—setting up an explanation or reminder about Arjuna’s qualities, purpose, or duty.