Shloka 11

कुन्ती-विलापः तथा गोविन्द-आश्वासनम्

Kuntī’s Lament and Govinda’s Consolation

Devanagari script

स गंह धृतराष्ट्रस्य प्राविशच्छत्रुकर्शन: । पाण्डुरं पुण्डरीकाक्ष: प्रासादैरुपशोभितम्‌,शत्रुओंको क्षीण करनेवाले कमलनयन श्रीकृष्णने राजा धुृतराष्ट्रके अट्टालिकाओंसे सुशोभित उज्ज्वल भवनमें प्रवेश किया

Transliteration

sa gṛhaṁ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya prāviśac chatrukarśanaḥ | pāṇḍuraṁ puṇḍarīkākṣaḥ prāsādair upaśobhitam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: The lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, the subduer of foes, entered Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s residence—bright and gleaming, adorned with lofty palaces.

Word by Word

सःhe (that person)

गृहम्house, residence

धृतराष्ट्रस्यof Dhṛtarāṣṭra

प्राविशत्entered

शत्रुकर्शनःenemy-crushing (destroyer of foes)

पाण्डुरम्bright, pale, shining

पुण्डरीकाक्षःlotus-eyed

प्रासादैःwith palaces/mansions

उपशोभितम्adorned, beautified

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kṛṣṇa

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

gṛha (royal residence)

prāsāda (palaces/mansions)

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?

Even one who has the power to defeat enemies (śatrukarśana) should first pursue a righteous, peaceful resolution. Kṛṣṇa’s entry into Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s royal residence signals diplomacy grounded in dharma—seeking justice and restraint before resorting to war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kṛṣṇa, described as lotus-eyed and a subduer of foes, enters Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s bright, palace-adorned residence—setting the stage for courtly negotiations in the lead-up to the Kurukṣetra conflict.