Shloka 28

Devanagari script

व्यंसिता चाप्युपायेन शक्रदत्ता मयानघ । ये हि धर्मस्य लोप्तारो वध्यास्ते मम पाण्डव,निष्पाप पाण्डुनन्दन! इसी उपायसे मैंने इन्द्रकी दी हुई शक्ति भी कर्णके हाथसे दूर कर दी है। धर्मका लोप करनेवाले सभी प्राणी मेरे वध्य हैं

Transliteration

vyaṁsitā cāpy upāyena śakradattā mayānagha | ye hi dharmasya loptāro vadhyās te mama pāṇḍava ||

Translation

Vāyu sprach: „O sündloser Pāṇḍava, durch ein wohlersonnenes Mittel habe ich auch die von Indra geschenkte Macht wirkungslos gemacht und sie Karṇa aus der Hand genommen. Denn wer das Dharma untergräbt und zerstört, ist für mich des Todes würdig.“

Word by Word

व्यंसिताhas been removed/caused to be cast away

चand

अपिalso/even

उपायेनby a means/strategy

शक्रदत्ताgiven by Indra

मयाby me

अनघO sinless one

येthose who

हिindeed/for

धर्मस्यof dharma

लोप्तारःdestroyers/violators

वध्याःto be slain

तेthey/those

ममmy

पाण्डवO Pandava

निष्पापO sinless one

पाण्डुनन्दनO son of Pandu

Speaker

श्रीवायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu (Vāyudeva)

Śakra (Indra)

Karṇa

Pāṇḍava (Pāṇḍunandana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts an ethical principle of cosmic justice: those who erode dharma become legitimate targets of punishment. It frames divine power and strategy as instruments used to protect moral order, not merely to win a battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu addresses a Pāṇḍava, stating that through a stratagem he has neutralized the divine weapon (Śakti) that Indra had granted and that it has been removed from Karṇa’s effective use. He then declares that destroyers of dharma are destined to be slain by him.