Shloka 12

कृष्ण-दूतविषये दुर्योधनस्य बन्धन-प्रस्तावः — Duryodhana’s Proposal to Detain Krishna

Envoy-Ethics Debate

Devanagari script

वेद कृष्णस्य माहात्म्यं वेदास्य दृढभक्तिताम्‌ । अत्याज्यमस्य जानामि प्राणैस्तुल्यं धनंजयम्‌,मैं श्रीकृष्णके माहात्म्यको जानता हूँ। श्रीकृष्णके प्रति अर्जुनकी जो सुदृढ़ भक्ति है, उससे भी परिचित हूँ। अतः मैं यह निश्चितरूपसे जानता हूँ कि श्रीकृष्ण अपने प्राणोंके समान प्रिय सखा अर्जुनको कभी त्याग नहीं सकते

Transliteration

veda kṛṣṇasya māhātmyaṃ vedāsya dṛḍha-bhaktitām | atyājyam asya jānāmi prāṇais tulyam dhanaṃjayam ||

Translation

Vidura says: “I know the greatness of Kṛṣṇa, and I also know the steadfast devotion that Arjuna bears toward him. Therefore I am certain of this: Kṛṣṇa will never abandon Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), who is as dear to him as his own life.”

Word by Word

• {'veda (veda)': 'I know

• I understand', 'kṛṣṇasya': 'of Kṛṣṇa', 'māhātmyaṃ': 'greatness, exalted nature, divine majesty', 'vedāsi/vedāsya': 'I know this/that of him (contextual: I know of him)', 'dṛḍha-bhaktitām': 'firm devotion, unwavering devotion', 'atyājyam': 'not to be abandoned

• impossible to forsake', 'asya': 'by him / of him (here: of Kṛṣṇa)', 'jānāmi': 'I know

• I ascertain', 'prāṇaiḥ tulyam': 'equal to (his) life-breaths

• as dear as life', 'dhanaṃjayam': 'Dhanañjaya, epithet of Arjuna'}

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Kṛṣṇa
• Arjuna (Dhanañjaya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True dharmic alliance rests on steadfast devotion and reciprocal loyalty: where devotion is firm and the guide is righteous and great, abandonment is unthinkable; ethical counsel emphasizes reliability in friendship and commitment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations and counsel, Vidura speaks to underscore Kṛṣṇa’s greatness and his inseparable bond with Arjuna, implying that plans ignoring Kṛṣṇa’s support of the Pāṇḍavas are strategically and morally misguided.