Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वासुदेवार्जुनावेती निबोध वचनान्मम । नरनारायणावेतौ पूर्वदेवी दिवि श्रुती,कृष्णमशभ्युद्यतास्त्रं च नादं मुमुचुरुल्बणम्‌ | उन्होंने उस जलते हुए वनको और मारनेके लिये अस्त्र उठाये हुए श्रीकृष्ण तथा अर्जुनको देखा। उत्पात और आर्तनादके शब्दसे उस वनमें खड़े हुए वे सभी प्राणी संत्रस्त- से हो उठे थे। उस वनको अनेक प्रकारसे दग्ध होते देख और अस्त्र उठाये हुए श्रीकृष्णपर दृष्टि डाल भयानक आर्तनाद करने लगे “भगवान्‌ वासुदेव तथा अर्जुनको किसी प्रकार युद्धसे जीता नहीं जा सकता। मेरे कहनेसे तुम इस बातको समझ लो। ये दोनों पहलेके देवता नर और नारायण हैं। देवलोकमें भी इनकी ख्याति है। इनका बल और पराक्रम कैसा है, यह तुम भी जानते हो। ये अपराजित और दुर्धर्ष वीर हैं। सम्पूर्ण लोकोंमें किसीके द्वारा भी ये युद्धमें जीते नहीं जा सकते

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | vāsudevārjunāvetī nibodha vacanān mama | nara-nārāyaṇāv etau pūrva-devī divi śrutī | kṛṣṇam abhyudyatāstraṃ ca nādaṃ mumucur ulbaṇam |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Understand my words: Vāsudeva and Arjuna are not to be overcome. These two are in truth the ancient divine pair Nara and Nārāyaṇa, renowned even in heaven.” Seeing Kṛṣṇa with weapon raised, they let out a terrible cry.

Word by Word

वासुदेवVasudeva (Krishna)

अर्जुनौthe two Arjunas / Arjuna (as one of the pair)

इतिthus

निबोधunderstand; know

वचनात्from (my) words; on the authority of speech

ममof me; my

नरनारायणौNara and Narayana

एतौthese two

पूर्वदेवीthe former/ancient goddess (i.e., ancient divine tradition)

दिविin heaven

श्रुतीtwo reports/traditions; (it is) heard (as twofold tradition)

कृष्णम्Krishna

अथthen

अभ्युद्यतraised; lifted up

अस्त्रम्weapon; missile

चand

नादम्sound; roar; cry

मुमुचुःthey released/uttered

उल्बणम्terrible; fierce

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Arjuna

Nara

Nārāyaṇa

Heaven (Divi/Devaloka)

Astra (weapon)

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 frames Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna as manifestations of the primordial divine pair Nara–Nārāyaṇa, implying that their strength is rooted in dharma and divine nature; therefore, resisting them is not only strategically futile but also ethically misguided.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana explains that observers, seeing Kṛṣṇa with weapon raised alongside Arjuna, cry out in fear and acknowledge that the pair cannot be defeated, identifying them as the famed heavenly Nara–Nārāyaṇa.