Shloka 15

Kṛṣṇa at Duryodhana’s House: Refusal of Hospitality and Departure to Vidura (कृष्णस्य धार्तराष्ट्रनिवेशनगमनम्)

Devanagari script

न स्मोपयान्ति निद्रां ते न तदर्हा जनार्दन । “जब वे अपनी राजधानीमें ऊँची अट्टालिकाओंके भीतर रंकुमृगके चर्मसे बने हुए बिछौनोंसे युक्त सुकोमल शय्याओंपर शयन करते थे, उन दिनों हाथियोंके चिग्घाड़ने, घोड़ोंके हिनहिनाने तथा रथके पहियोंके घर्घरानेसे उनकी निद्रा टूटती थी। शंख और भेरीकी तुमुल ध्वनि तथा वेणु और वीणाके मधुर स्वरसे उन्हें जगाया जाता था। साथ ही ब्राह्मणलोग पुण्याहवाचनके पवित्र घोषसे उनका समादर करते थे। वे महात्मा ब्राह्मणोंके मंगलमय आशीर्वाद सुनकर उठते थे। पूजित और पूजनीय पुरुष भी उनके गुण गा-गाकर अभिनन्दन किया करते थे एवं उठकर वे रत्नों, वस्त्रों एवं अलंकारोंके द्वारा ब्राह्मणोंकी पूजा करते थे। जनार्दन! वे ही पाण्डव उस विशाल वनमें हिंसक जन्तुओंके क्रूरतापूर्ण शब्द सुनकर अच्छी तरह नींद भी नहीं ले पाते रहे होंगे, यद्यपि इस दुरवस्थाके योग्य वे कभी नहीं थे || १०--१४ ह ।। भेरीमृदड़निनदैः शड्खवैणवनिस्वनै:

Transliteration

na smopayānti nidrāṁ te na tad-arhā janārdana |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O Janārdana, sleep does not come to them; they are not fit for such a plight. Those very Pāṇḍavas—once awakened in their capital by the clamour of elephants, the neighing of horses, the rumbling of chariot-wheels, and by the thunder of conches and kettledrums, together with the sweet notes of flute and vīṇā, while Brahmins honoured them with auspicious recitations and blessings—now, in the vast forest, must lie wakeful, disturbed by the harsh cries of fierce beasts. Their present misery stands in stark contrast to the dignity they once deserved.”

Word by Word

नnot

स्मindeed/ever (emphatic particle)

उपयान्तिthey attain/come to

निद्राम्sleep

तेthey/those (people)

नnot

तत्that (state/condition)

अर्हाःworthy/deserving

जनार्दनO Janārdana (Krishna)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)

Pāṇḍavas

forest (vana)

elephants

horses

chariots (wheels)

conch (śaṅkha)

kettledrum (bherī)

flute (veṇu)

vīṇā

Brahmins

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?

The verse underscores the ethical dissonance between merit and circumstance: those who are ‘not deserving’ of degradation (the righteous Pāṇḍavas) nonetheless endure it. It evokes compassion and highlights how adharma in governance can force the virtuous into suffering, intensifying the moral urgency for rectification.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa), contrasting the Pāṇḍavas’ former royal life—waking to auspicious sounds, music, and Brahmin blessings—with their present exile, where they cannot sleep in the forest due to the frightening noises of wild beasts.