Shloka 57

Kṛṣṇa-vīrya-kathana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s appraisal of Vāsudeva’s deeds

Devanagari script

मातृष्वसु: सुता वीरा: पाण्डवानां जयार्थिन: । तान्‌ द्रोणं हन्तुमायातान्‌ के वीरा: पर्यवारयन्‌,केकय देशके सत्यपराक्रमी, धर्मात्मा पाँच वीर राजकुमार लाल रंगके कवच, आयुध और ध्वज धारण करनेवाले हैं तथा उनके शरीरकी कान्ति भी इन्द्रगोपके समान लाल रंगकी ही है; वे पाण्डवोंकी मौसीके बेटे हैं। वे जब पाण्डवोंकी विजयके लिये द्रोणाचार्यको मारनेके लिये उनपर चढ़ आये, उस समय किन वीरोंने उन्हें रोका था?

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

mātṛṣvasuḥ sutā vīrāḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ jayārthinaḥ |

tān droṇaṃ hantum āyātān ke vīrāḥ paryavārayan ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “The heroic sons of the Pāṇḍavas’ maternal aunt, intent on securing victory for the Pāṇḍavas, advanced to slay Droṇa. Which warriors stood in their way and checked them?”

Word by Word

मातृष्वसुःof the maternal aunt

सुताःsons

वीराःheroes/warriors

पाण्डवानाम्of the Pandavas

जयार्थिनःseeking victory

तान्them

द्रोणम्Drona

हन्तुम्to kill

आयातान्having come/approached

केwhich?/who?

वीराःheroes/warriors

पर्यवारयन्warded off/checked/surrounded

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍavas

Droṇa

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 foregrounds how dharma and duty in war are entangled with kinship: even close relatives become instruments in a larger strategic and ethical struggle, where intent (seeking victory) drives action and opposition arises through equally duty-bound warriors.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a group of valiant kinsmen of the Pāṇḍavas—sons of their maternal aunt—advancing with the aim of killing Droṇa to secure Pāṇḍava victory, and he asks which warriors intercepted and restrained them.