Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सत्कृतो5सत्कृतो वापि न क्रुद्धयेत जनार्दन: । नालमेनमवज्ञातुं नावज्ञेयो हि केशव:,“राजन! श्रीकृष्णका कोई सत्कार करे या न करे, इससे वे कुपित नहीं होंगे, परंतु वे अवहेलनाके योग्य कदापि नहीं हैं; अतः कोई भी उनका अपमान या अवहेलना नहीं कर सकता

Transliteration

satkṛto 'satkṛto vāpi na kruddhyet janārdanaḥ | nālam enam avajñātuṃ nāvajñeyo hi keśavaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O King, whether Śrī Kṛṣṇa is honored or left without honor, Janārdana will not become angry. Yet he is never fit to be slighted; for Keśava is not one who can rightly be despised.”

Word by Word

सत्कृतःhonoured, well-received

असत्कृतःnot honoured, not respected

वाor

अपिeven, also

नnot

क्रुद्ध्येतwould/should become angry

जनार्दनःJanardana (Krishna)

नnot

अलम्fit/proper; sufficient (here: 'it is not proper')

एनम्him

अवज्ञातुम्to disrespect, to slight

नnot

अवज्ञेयःto be disrespected (deserving disrespect) / one who should be slighted

हिindeed, for

केशवःKeshava (Krishna)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janārdana (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

Keśava (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

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?

True greatness is not provoked by lack of honor, yet ethical order demands that one should not treat the noble—especially the divinely grounded guide like Kṛṣṇa—with contempt. The verse distinguishes between the sage-like forbearance of the great and the moral fault of insulting them.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations and counsel, Vaiśampāyana reports advice to the king: regardless of how others behave toward Kṛṣṇa, he will not be angered, but it is improper and dangerous (morally and politically) to disregard him, since he is a uniquely authoritative figure.