Shloka 1

युधिष्ठिरस्य नगरप्रवेशः — चार्वाकप्रकरणं

Yudhiṣṭhira’s Entry into the City and the Cārvāka Episode

Devanagari script

अपने-आप छा अर: एकोनचत्वारिशोड ध्याय: चार्वाकको प्राप्त हुए वर आदिका श्रीकृष्णद्वारा वर्णन वैशम्पायन उवाच ततस्तत्र तु राजानं तिष्ठन्तं भ्रातृभि: सह । उवाच देवकीपुत्र: सर्वदर्शी जनार्दन:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! तदनन्तर सर्वदर्शी देवकीनन्दन भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णने वहाँ भाइयोंसहित खड़े हुए राजा युधिष्ठिससे कहा

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | tataḥ tatra tu rājānaṃ tiṣṭhantaṃ bhrātṛbhiḥ saha | uvāca devakīputraḥ sarvadarśī janārdanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then, at that place, Janārdana—Kṛṣṇa, the son of Devakī, all-seeing—addressed King Yudhiṣṭhira as he stood together with his brothers. The scene turns from the aftermath of war toward counsel: the righteous king, burdened by grief and responsibility, is about to be guided toward steadiness in dharma and kingship.

Word by Word

• {'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'tatra': 'there

• in that place', 'tu': 'but

• indeed (emphatic particle)', 'rājānam': 'the king (accusative singular)', 'tiṣṭhantam': 'standing

• remaining (present participle, accusative singular)', 'bhrātṛbhiḥ': 'with (his) brothers (instrumental plural)', 'saha': 'together with', 'uvāca': 'said

• spoke', 'devakīputraḥ': 'son of Devakī (Kṛṣṇa)', 'sarvadarśī': 'all-seeing

• omniscient (epithet)', 'janārdanaḥ': "Janārdana, a name of Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa meaning 'stirrer/chastiser of men' or 'one who is prayed to by people'"}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Kṛṣṇa
• Devakī
• Janārdana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pāṇḍava brothers

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up a dharmic instruction scene: the all-seeing Kṛṣṇa is about to guide the king, implying that righteous governance requires counsel grounded in dharma, clarity, and moral responsibility after violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the war, Yudhiṣṭhira stands with his brothers. Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana), present there, begins to speak to the king—introducing the forthcoming discourse of the Śānti Parva.