Shloka 104

Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ

King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt

Devanagari script

धर्मसंवर्धनार्थाय प्रजज्ञेडन्धकवृष्णिषु । अस्त्रज्ञौ तु महावीर्यों सर्वशास्त्रविशारदौ,उन्होंने ही धर्मकी वृद्धिके लिये अन्धक और वृष्णिकुलमें बलराम और श्रीकृष्णरूपमें अवतार लिया था। वे दोनों भाई सम्पूर्ण अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंके ज्ञाता, महापराक्रमी और समस्त शास्त्रोंके ज्ञानमें परम प्रवीण थे

Transliteration

dharmasaṃvardhanārthāya prajajñe ’ndhakavṛṣṇiṣu | astrājñau tu mahāvīryau sarvaśāstraviśāradau ||

Translation

Daśa said: For the sake of increasing and upholding dharma, they were born among the Andhakas and Vṛṣṇis. Those two brothers—mighty in valor, masters of weapons, and deeply learned in all branches of sacred and practical knowledge—appeared there as Balarāma and Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Word by Word

• धर्मसंवर्धनार्थाय: for the purpose of increasing dharma
• धर्मसंवर्धनार्थाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-संवर्धन-अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• प्रजज्ञे: was born / manifested
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-जन (धातु: जन्)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• अन्धकवृष्णिषु: among the Andhakas and Vṛṣṇis
• अन्धकवृष्णिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक-वृष्णि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• अस्त्रज्ञौ: knowers of weapons (missile-weapons)
• अस्त्रज्ञौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्त्रज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• तु: indeed / but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• महावीर्यौ: of great prowess
• महावीर्यौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महावीर्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• सर्वशास्त्रविशारदौ: highly proficient in all śāstras
• सर्वशास्त्रविशारदौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-शास्त्र-विशारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

दाश उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Daśa
• Andhakas
• Vṛṣṇis
• Balarāma
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• astra (weapons)
• śāstra (disciplines/authoritative teachings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the appearance of Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa as dharma-oriented: extraordinary power and mastery of arms are presented as legitimate and beneficial when directed toward the protection and increase of righteous order, guided by comprehensive learning (śāstra).

What is happening in the narrative?

Daśa describes the birth/manifestation of two exceptional brothers within the Andhaka and Vṛṣṇi communities—identified as Balarāma and Śrī Kṛṣṇa—emphasizing their purpose (upholding dharma) and their qualifications (martial expertise and broad scriptural/disciplinary mastery).