Shloka 11

Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 92: Kṛṣṇasya sabhāpraveśaḥ

Krishna’s Entry into the Royal Assembly

Devanagari script

आकेशग्रहणान्मित्रमकार्यात्‌ संनिवर्तयन्‌ । अवाच्य: कस्यचिद्‌ भवति कृतयत्नो यथाबलम्‌,जो अपने मित्रको उसकी चोटी पकड़कर भी बुरे कार्यसे हटानेके लिये यथाशक्ति प्रयत्न करता है, वह किसीकी निन्दाका पात्र नहीं होता है

Transliteration

ākeśa-grahaṇān mitram akāryāt saṁnivartayan | avācyaḥ kasyacid bhavati kṛta-yatno yathā-balam ||

Translation

One who, even seizing his friend by the hair, strives to the best of his ability to restrain him from a wrongful deed does not become blameworthy in anyone’s eyes.

Word by Word

आकेशग्रहणात्even from (the act of) seizing by the hair/topknot

मित्रम्a friend

अकार्यत्from a wrong act

संनिवर्तयन्turning back / restraining

अवाच्यःnot to be blamed / not blameworthy

कस्यचित्of anyone

भवतिis / becomes

कृतयत्नःone who has made effort / who has tried

यथाबलम्according to (one's) strength; as much as possible

Speaker

(वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṁpāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Preventing a friend from wrongdoing is a dharmic duty; even firm physical restraint is not blameworthy when motivated by protection from adharma and undertaken with sincere, proportionate effort.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśaṁpāyana’s narration, a general ethical principle is stated: a well-intentioned person who tries, to the extent of his ability, to stop a friend from an improper act should not be condemned for the severity of the intervention.