Shloka 18

Draupadī-vivāha-vidhāna

The Ritual Formalization of Draupadī’s Marriage

Devanagari script

वृष्णिप्रवीरस्तु कुरुप्रवीरा- नाशंसमान: सहरौहिणेय: । जगाम तां भार्गवकर्मशालां यत्रासते ते पुरुषप्रवीरा:,इधर वृष्णिवंशियोंमें श्रेष्ठ भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्ण रोहिणीनन्दन बलरामजीके साथ कुरुकुलके प्रमुख वीर पाण्डवोंको पहचानकर कुम्हारके घरमें, जहाँ वे नरश्रेष्ठ निवास करते थे, मिलनेके लिये गये

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

vṛṣṇipravīras tu kurupravīrān āśaṃsamānaḥ saharauhiṇeyaḥ |

jagāma tāṃ bhārgavakarmaśālāṃ yatrāsate te puruṣapravīrāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: Dann erkannte Kṛṣṇa, der vornehmste Held der Vṛṣṇis, in Begleitung Balarāmas, des Sohnes Rohiṇīs, die führenden Krieger des Kuru-Geschlechts (die Pāṇḍavas) und begab sich zur Werkstatt des Bhārgava—wo jene Besten der Männer weilten—um sie zu treffen.

Word by Word

वृष्णिप्रवीरःthe foremost hero among the Vrishnis (Krishna)

तुindeed/but

कुरुप्रवीरान्the foremost heroes of the Kurus (the Pandavas)

आशंसमानःrecognizing/considering (with expectation/intent)

सहtogether with

रौहिणेयःthe son of Rohini (Balarama)

जगामwent

ताम्that (to her/that place)

भार्गवकर्मशालाम्the Bhargava’s workshop (the potter’s house/workplace)

यत्रwhere

आसतेwere sitting/dwelling

तेthey

पुरुषप्रवीराःthe foremost of men

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kṛṣṇa

Balarāma (Rauhiṇeya)

Vṛṣṇis

Kuru heroes (Pāṇḍavas implied)

Bhārgava

karmaśālā (workshop)

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?

Discernment and timely support: Kṛṣṇa recognizes the righteous even when they are living incognito, and he acts promptly to meet and align with them—an ethical model of aiding dharmic persons at the right moment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Balarāma, identifies the principal Kuru heroes (the Pāṇḍavas) and goes to the Bhārgava’s workshop where they are staying, intending to meet them.