Shloka 22
Dvārakāyāṃ Sāhāyya-vibhāgaḥ (Alliance Allocation at Dvārakā) / उद्योगपर्व अध्याय ७
नारायणममित्रघ्नं कामाज्जातमजं नृषु । सर्वक्षत्रस्थ पुरतो देवदानवयोरपि
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
nārāyaṇam amitraghnaṁ kāmāj jātaṁ ajaṁ nṛṣu |
sarvakṣatrastha purato devadānavayor api ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O King, after Kṛṣṇa had spoken thus, Dhanañjaya, the son of Kuntī, chose as his support that very Lord Kṛṣṇa—Nārāyaṇa, the slayer of foes—who, though unborn, out of his own free will is said to have appeared among human beings, in the presence of gods, demons, and all the kṣatriyas.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Kṛṣṇa as Nārāyaṇa—unborn yet freely manifesting among humans—highlighting that divine participation in worldly conflict can be voluntary and purposeful. Ethically, it underscores Arjuna’s choice of guidance and presence over mere military force, valuing dharmic counsel and divine alignment in a crisis.
In the lead-up to war, after Kṛṣṇa’s statement (about the options available), Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) chooses Kṛṣṇa himself as his support rather than the fighting army. The narrator emphasizes Kṛṣṇa’s supreme identity as Nārāyaṇa, witnessed by gods, demons, and the assembled warrior class.