Shloka 33

Jarāsandha–Bhīma Niyuddha-prastāvaḥ

Commencement of the Regulated Duel

Devanagari script

तेषां मध्ये महाबुद्धि: कृष्णो वचनमत्रवीत्‌ । वक्तुं नायाति राजेन्द्र एतयोर्नियमस्थयो:

Transliteration

teṣāṃ madhye mahābuddhiḥ kṛṣṇo vacanam abravīt | vaktuṃ nāyāti rājendra etayor niyamasthayoḥ ||

Translation

In ihrer Mitte sprach Krishna, der Hochgesinnte: „O bester der Könige, diesen beiden kommt das Wort nicht über die Lippen, denn sie stehen fest in ihrer Selbstzucht und in ihren Gelübden.“

Word by Word

तेषाम्of them

मध्येin the midst

महाबुद्धिःgreat-minded, of great intellect

कृष्णःKrishna

वचनम्speech, words

अत्रhere

अवीत्said, spoke

वक्तुम्to speak

नnot

आयातिcomes, is possible/occurs

राजेन्द्रO king of kings (O best of kings)

एतयोःof these two

नियमस्थयोःof the two who are fixed in a rule/observance

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वैशम्पायन (Vaiśampāyana)

क

कृष्ण (Kṛṣṇa)

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?

When two parties are rigidly fixed in their respective vows or positions, meaningful dialogue may fail to arise; ethical counsel implies the need for flexibility and restraint to make reconciliation possible.

What is happening in the narrative?

Amid an assembly, Krishna intervenes and addresses the king, observing that between two individuals who are firmly bound to their own resolves, speech (productive discussion) is not forthcoming.