Shloka 24

Droṇa–Vidura–Gāndhārī Counsel in the Royal Assembly (धर्मार्थयुक्ता सभा-उपदेश-प्रकरणम्)

Devanagari script

ततो रामेण समरे द्वन्द्ययुद्धमुपागमम्‌ । स हि रामभयादेभिननागिरैरविप्रवासित:,“तदनन्तर एक समय मैं परशुरामजीके साथ द्वन्धयुद्धके लिये समरभूमिमें उतरा। उन दिनों परशुरामजीके भयसे यहाँके नागरिकोंने राजा विचित्रवीर्यको इस नगरसे दूर हटा दिया था

Transliteration

tato rāmeṇa samare dvandvayuddham upāgamam | sa hi rāmabhayād ebhiḥ nāgikaiḥ aviprāvāsitaḥ ||

Translation

“Then, on the battlefield, I entered into a single-combat duel with Rāma (Paraśurāma). For in those days, out of fear of Rāma, the citizens of this place had driven King Vicitravīrya away from the city, sending him into exile.”

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

रामेणby Rama (Parashurama)

समरेin battle

द्वन्द्व-युद्धम्a duel (single combat)

उपागमम्I approached/entered

सःhe

हिindeed, for

राम-भयात्from fear of Rama

एभिःby these

नागिरैःby the citizens

अविप्रवासितःwas made to go away / was exiled

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyudeva

Rāma (Paraśurāma)

Vicitravīrya

citizens (nāgikāḥ)

battlefield (samara)

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 how fear can destabilize dharmic governance: when a community acts from panic before a powerful figure, it may abandon loyalty to rightful authority and commit ethically fraught acts like expelling a king.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva recounts that he engaged Paraśurāma in a duel on the battlefield, and notes that at that time the local citizens, frightened of Paraśurāma, had forced King Vicitravīrya to leave the city.