Shloka 51

Devanagari script

गतेषु पार्थिवेन्द्रेषु सर्वेषु ब्राह्मणेषु च । युधिष्ठटिरमुवाचेदं॑ वासुदेव: प्रतापवान्‌,इसी प्रकार अन्य क्षत्रियशिरोमणियोंने दूसरे-दूसरे क्षत्रिय राजाओंका अनुगमन किया। इसी तरह सभी ब्राह्मण भी अत्यन्त पूजित हो सहस्रोंकी संख्यामें वहाँसे विदा हुए। राजाओं तथा ब्राह्मणोंके चले जानेपर प्रतापी भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णने युधिषप्ठिससे कहा--

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | gateṣu pārthivendreṣu sarveṣu brāhmaṇeṣu ca | yudhiṣṭhiram uvācedaṃ vāsudevaḥ pratāpavān |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: When all the lordly kings had departed, and the Brahmins too had taken their leave, the mighty Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) addressed Yudhiṣṭhira.

Word by Word

गतेषुwhen (they) had gone / after (their) departure

पार्थिवेन्द्रेषुamong the kingly lords (kings)

सर्वेषुin/among all

ब्राह्मणेषुamong the Brahmins

चand

युधिष्ठिरम्Yudhiṣṭhira (as object)

उवाचsaid

इदम्this

वासुदेवःVāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

प्रतापवान्mighty, valorous

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

kings (pārthivendras)

Brahmins (brāhmaṇas)

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 underscores proper royal conduct: public duties—honoring guests, kings, and Brahmins—are completed first; only then does the narrative shift to intimate guidance. It frames counsel as something grounded in fulfilled social and ethical obligations.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the assembly disperses—kings and Brahmins depart—Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) turns to Yudhiṣṭhira and begins to speak, signaling a transition from public ceremony to private conversation and instruction.