Shloka 88
Kṛṣṇa at Duryodhana’s House: Refusal of Hospitality and Departure to Vidura (कृष्णस्य धार्तराष्ट्रनिवेशनगमनम्)
यस्या मम सपुत्रायास्त्वं नाथो मधुसूदन । रामश्न बलिनां श्रेष्ठ: प्रद्युम्नश्ष महारथ:,“पुरुषोत्तम! मधुसूदन! पुत्रोंसहित जिस कुन्तीके बलवानोंमें श्रेष्ठ बलराम, महारथी प्रद्युम्न तथा तुम रक्षक हो; युद्धमें कभी पीठ न दिखानेवाले विजयी अर्जुन और दुर्धर्ष भीमसेन-सरीखे जिसके पुत्र जीवित हैं, वही मैं ऐसे-ऐसे दुःख सह रही हूँ!
yasyā mama saputrāyās tvaṃ nātho madhusūdana | rāmaś ca balināṃ śreṣṭhaḥ pradyumnaś ca mahārathaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Madhusūdana, you are the protector of me, a mother with my sons. Mighty Balarāma, the foremost among the strong, and Pradyumna, a great chariot-warrior, are also our support. Though such guardians stand with us, I am still made to endure grievous suffering.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one has powerful allies and divine protectors, worldly suffering can persist; the verse highlights reliance on righteous protection (nātha) while underscoring the moral tension and anguish that precede war.
Vaiśampāyana narrates a lament addressed to Kṛṣṇa (Madhusūdana), emphasizing that Kuntī (implicitly) has protectors like Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, and Pradyumna, yet she is still forced to bear intense sorrow amid the escalating conflict.