Shloka 256

Devanagari script

निर्विशड्कं वनं वीरी दाहयामासतुस्तदा । राजन! देवराजके चले जानेपर वीरवर केशव तथा अर्जुन अत्यन्त प्रसन्न हो उस समय बेखटके खाण्डववनका दाह कराने लगे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | nirviśaṅkaṃ vanaṃ vīrau dāhayām āsatus tadā | rājan! devarājake cale jānepare vīravara keśava tathā arjuna atyanta prasanna ho us samaya bekhaṭake khāṇḍavavanakā dāha karāne lage |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then, O King, when the lord of the gods had departed from that place, the two heroes—Kṛṣṇa Keśava and Arjuna—being greatly pleased, set about having the Khāṇḍava forest burned without fear or hesitation.

Word by Word

• निर्विशङ्कम्: without fear/suspicion
• निर्विशङ्कम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्विशङ्क
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वीरौ: the two heroes
• वीरौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• दाहयामासतुः: they caused (it) to be burnt / they burnt
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), causative, 3rd, Dual, Parasmaipada

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya (addressed as Rājan)
• Indra (Devarāja)
• Kṛṣṇa (Keśava)
• Arjuna
• Khāṇḍava forest

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness and clarity of purpose: once the divine obstacle (Indra) withdraws, the heroes act decisively and without fear. Ethically, it points to the importance of resolute action aligned with one’s chosen aim, while also reminding the reader that human initiatives in the epic often unfold in negotiation with (and sometimes in tension against) divine forces.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Indra departs from the scene, Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) and Arjuna, delighted and confident, proceed to have the Khāṇḍava forest burned, initiating the well-known Khāṇḍava-dāha episode.