Mahabharata 3.20.8 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 20, Shloka 8

Śālva–Pradyumna Yuddha: Sārathya-kauśala, Astra-pratikāra, Daiva-niyati

Chapter 20

Devanagari script

सर्वान्‌ वृष्णिप्रवीरांश्व हर्षयन्नब्रुवं तदा । अप्रमाद: सदा कार्यो नगरे यादवर्षभा:

Transliteration

sarvān vṛṣṇipravīrāṁś ca harṣayann abruvaṁ tadā | apramādaḥ sadā kāryo nagare yādavarṣabhāḥ ||

Translation

Daraufhin, nachdem er die Stadtbewohner beruhigt und alle vornehmsten Helden der Vṛṣṇis erfreut hatte, sprach Vāsudeva: „O Beste der Yādavas, zum Schutz der Stadt muss stets unablässige Wachsamkeit gewahrt werden.“

Word by Word

• {'sarvān': 'all (accusative plural)', 'vṛṣṇi-pravīrān': 'the foremost heroes/champions among the Vṛṣṇis', 'ca': 'and', 'harṣayan': 'gladdening, causing joy (present participle)', 'abruvam': 'I spoke, I said (1st person singular imperfect/perfect narrative form)', 'tadā': 'then, at that time', 'apramādaḥ': 'non-negligence

• carefulness', 'sadā': 'always', 'kāryaḥ': 'to be done

• must be undertaken (obligatory)', 'nagare': 'in/for the city (locative singular)', 'yādava-ṛṣabhāḥ': 'O bulls among the Yādavas

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva
• Vṛṣṇis
• Yādavas
• the city (nagara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches apramāda—steady, ongoing vigilance—as a civic and ethical duty. A leader safeguards society not only through valor but through sustained attentiveness to security and order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva addresses the Yādava/Vṛṣṇi leaders after reassuring the residents of the city, encouraging them and issuing a practical directive: remain continually alert to protect the city.