Shloka 20

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तो जातवेदा द्रोणेन ब्रह्म॒वादिना । द्रोणमाह प्रतीतात्मा मन्दपालप्रतिज्ञया,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! ब्रह्मवादी द्रोणके द्वारा इस प्रकार प्रार्थना की जानेपर प्रसन्नचित्त हुए अग्निने मन्दपालसे की हुई प्रतिज्ञाका स्मरण करके द्रोणसे कहा

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca evam ukto jātavedā droṇena brahmavādinā | droṇam āha pratītātmā mandapālapratijñayā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: So von Droṇa angesprochen, einem Kenner und Ausleger der heiligen Lehre, wurde Agni (Jātavedas) innerlich erfreut. Eingedenk des Gelübdes, das er einst Mandapāla gegeben hatte, sprach er zu Droṇa—indem er das gegenwärtige Begehren mit einer früheren sittlichen Verpflichtung verknüpfte und Treue zum gegebenen Wort zeigte.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

उक्तःhaving been addressed/said to

जातवेदाःJātavedas (Agni)

द्रोणेनby Droṇa

ब्रह्मवादिनाby the expounder of Brahman / brahma-speaker

द्रोणम्Droṇa (as object)

आहsaid (to)

प्रतीतात्माone whose mind was pleased/assured

मन्दपालप्रतिज्ञयाby/with the vow (made) to Mandapāla

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Droṇa

Agni (Jātavedas)

Mandapāla

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma as fidelity to one’s pledged word: Agni’s response is guided not merely by the immediate request but by remembrance of an earlier promise, modeling ethical consistency and trustworthiness.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Droṇa addresses Agni, Agni becomes pleased and speaks to Droṇa, explicitly motivated by the prior vow connected with Mandapāla—tying the current episode to an earlier commitment.