Shloka 14

Droṇa’s Conditional Boon: The Plan to Capture Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रोणेन युधिष्ठिरग्रहणोपायः)

Devanagari script

सौभ दैत्यपुरं खस्थं शाल्वगुप्तं दुरासदम्‌ । समुद्रकुक्षौ विक्रम्य पातयामास माधव:

Transliteration

saubha daityapuraṁ khasthaṁ śālvaguptaṁ durāsadam | samudrakukṣau vikramya pātayāmāsa mādhavaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Madhava (Kṛṣṇa), after advancing into the very bosom of the sea, brought down Saubha—the aerial stronghold of the Dānavas—well-guarded by Śālva and exceedingly hard to assail.

Word by Word

सौभम्Saubha (name of the city/vehicle)

दैत्यपुरम्the city of the Daityas (demons)

खस्थम्situated in the sky

शाल्वगुप्तम्protected/guarded by Śālva

दुरासदम्hard to assail, unapproachable

समुद्रकुक्षौin the ocean’s bosom (in the sea)

विक्रम्यhaving overpowered/stepped upon, having subdued

पातयामासcaused to fall; brought down

माधवःMādhava (Kṛṣṇa)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वैशम्पायन (Vaiśampāyana)

म

माधव (Mādhava/Kṛṣṇa)

स

सौभ (Saubha)

श

शाल्व (Śālva)

द

दैत्य (Daityas)

स

समुद्र (the sea)

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 highlights that power fortified by illusion, aggression, or adharma—however impregnable it appears—can be brought down by steadfast, righteous strength aligned with the restoration of order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava) advanced into the sea-region and caused Saubha, the sky-borne demon stronghold guarded by Śālva and hard to attack, to fall.