Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कृष्णो हि मूलं पापडूनां पार्थ: स्कन्ध इवोद्गत:ः । शाखा इवेतरे पार्था: पञ्चाला: पत्रसंज्ञिता:,“श्रीकृष्ण ही पाण्डवोंकी जड़ हैं, अर्जुन ऊपरके तनेके समान हैं, अन्य कदुन्तीपुत्र शाखाएँ हैं तथा पांचाल सैनिक पत्तोंके समान हैं

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | kṛṣṇo hi mūlaṃ pāṇḍūnāṃ pārthaḥ skandha ivodgataḥ | śākhā ivetare pārthāḥ pañcālāḥ patra-saṃjñitāḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya sagte: „Kṛṣṇa ist wahrlich die Wurzel der Pāṇḍavas; Arjuna ragt hervor wie der emporgewachsene Stamm. Die übrigen Söhne der Pṛthā sind wie Äste, und die Pañcālas mögen als Blätter gelten.“

Word by Word

कृष्णःKrishna

हिindeed/for

मूलम्root (source)

पाण्डूनाम्of the Pandavas (sons of Pandu)

पार्थःPartha (Arjuna)

स्कन्धःtrunk (stem)

इवlike/as

उद्गतःrisen/sprung up

शाखाःbranches

इवlike/as

इतरेthe other (remaining)

पार्थाःParthas (sons of Kunti, i.e., the other Pandavas)

पञ्चालाःPanchalas

पत्र-संज्ञिताःcalled/leaves-named (i.e., as leaves)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kṛṣṇa

Arjuna

Pāṇḍavas (sons of Pāṇḍu / sons of Pṛthā)

Pañcālas

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 teaches that visible power in action (Arjuna as the trunk) depends on a deeper, sustaining foundation (Kṛṣṇa as the root). Ethical success in war and governance is portrayed as arising from right counsel, inner alignment, and steadfast support, not merely from outward strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the Pāṇḍava side through a tree-metaphor to convey their structure and resilience: Kṛṣṇa as the essential support, Arjuna as the principal battlefield pillar, the other Pāṇḍavas as extensions of strength, and the Pañcāla allies as the massed supporting host.