Shloka 22

Kṛṣṇasya Khāṇḍavaprasthāt Dvārakā-prayāṇaḥ | Krishna’s Departure for Dvārakā

Devanagari script

योजनार्धमथो गत्वा कृष्ण: परपुरंजय: । युधिष्ठिरं समामन्त्रय निवर्तस्वेति भारत,भारत! शत्रुविजयी श्रीकृष्णने दो कोस दूर चले जानेपर युधिष्ठिरसे जानेकी अनुमति ले यह अनुरोध किया कि 'अब आप लौट जाइये'

Transliteration

yojanārdham atho gatvā kṛṣṇaḥ parapuraṃjayaḥ | yudhiṣṭhiraṃ samāmantrya nivartasveti bhārata ||

Translation

Nachdem er eine halbe Yojana zurückgelegt hatte, wandte sich Kṛṣṇa—Bezwinger feindlicher Städte—an Yudhiṣṭhira und bat ihn nach dem Abschied: „O Bhārata, kehre nun um.“

Word by Word

योजनार्धम्half a yojana (distance)

अथthen/thereupon

गत्वाhaving gone

कृष्णःKrishna

परपुरंजयःconqueror of enemy cities (epithet)

युधिष्ठिरम्Yudhishthira

समामन्त्र्यhaving consulted/addressed (him)

निवर्तस्वreturn (you)

इतिthus/so (quotative)

भारतO Bharata (address)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kṛṣṇa

Yudhiṣṭhira

Bhārata (form of address)

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?

Even a victorious and influential figure like Kṛṣṇa observes dharmic decorum—seeking leave, speaking respectfully, and guiding action without coercion. Authority is exercised through courtesy and consent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa walks about half a yojana away and then formally addresses Yudhiṣṭhira, requesting that Yudhiṣṭhira return. It reads as a courteous dismissal after accompanying him for some distance.