Shloka 36

Kṛṣṇasya Dvārakā-praveśaḥ — Krishna’s Return to Dvārakā and the Raivataka Festival

Devanagari script

ततो वजप्रहारैस्तैर्दार्यमाणा वसुन्धरा । नागलोकस्य पन्थानमकरोज्जनमेजय,जनमेजय! उस वज्रके प्रहारसे विदीर्ण होकर पृथ्वीने नागलोकका रास्ता प्रकट कर दिया

Transliteration

tato vajraprahārais tair dāryamāṇā vasundharā | nāgalokasya panthānam akaroj janamejaya ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Da wurde die Erde, von jenen schlagenden Hieben gleich einem Donnerkeil immer wieder getroffen, aufgerissen; und, o Janamejaya, sie offenbarte einen Durchgang, der in das Reich der Nāgas führte.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereupon

वज्र-प्रहारैःby thunderbolt-strikes

तैःby those

दार्यमाणाbeing split/torn

वसुन्धराthe earth

नाग-लोकस्यof the serpent-world (Nāga-world)

पन्थानम्path, way

अकरोत्made, created, opened

जनमेजयO Janamejaya

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Vasundharā (Earth)

Nāgaloka

Vajra (thunderbolt-like force)

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?

The verse highlights the moral weight of force: sustained violent action can rupture the natural and social order, bringing forth unforeseen and often dangerous consequences—symbolized by the earth splitting and exposing the Nāga realm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Under repeated thunderbolt-like strikes, the ground is torn open, and a route to Nāgaloka becomes visible; Vaiśampāyana narrates this to King Janamejaya as the events intensify toward the subterranean serpent world.