Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्रह्माद उवाच इमौ तौ सम्प्रदृश्येते याभ्यां न चरितं सह । आशीविषाविव क्रुद्धावेकमार्गाविहागतौ,प्रह्नादने (मन-ही-मन) कहा--जो कभी भी एक साथ नहीं चले थे, वे ही दोनों ये सुधन्वा और विरोचन आज साँपकी तरह क़ुद्ध होकर एक ही राहसे आते दिखायी देते हैं

Transliteration

Prahrāda uvāca: imau tau sampradṛśyete yābhyāṃ na caritaṃ saha | āśīviṣāv iva kruddhāv eka-mārgāv iha āgatau ||

Translation

Prahrāda said: “These two are now seen approaching—those who have never walked together before. Like enraged venomous serpents, they have come here along the same path.”

Word by Word

प्रह्लादःPrahlada

उवाचsaid

इमौthese two

तौthose two

सम्प्रदृश्येतेare seen / appear

याभ्याम्by whom (by which two)

नnot

चरितम्going, walking, conduct (here: walking together)

सहtogether

आशीविषौtwo venomous serpents

इवlike, as

क्रुद्धौangry

एकमार्गौhaving one path / on the same road

इहhere

आगतौcome, arrived

Speaker

प्रह्माद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Prahrāda

Sudhanvā

Virocana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger and hostility can force even unlikely parties onto the same course, warning that shared direction does not imply shared virtue; one should read such convergence as a sign of impending conflict and exercise discernment and restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Prahrāda observes Sudhanvā and Virocana approaching together—something unusual since they have not previously acted in unison—and compares their approach to two enraged venomous snakes coming by the same road, suggesting imminent confrontation.