Shloka 11

Kṛṣṇasya asāṃnidhya-kāraṇaṃ — Śālva–Soubha-vṛttāntaḥ

Why Kṛṣṇa was absent; the Śālva and Saubha account

Devanagari script

मध्यमेन च गुल्मेन रक्षिभि: सा सुरक्षिता । उत्क्षिप्तगुल्मैश्न तथा हयैश्न सपताकिभि:,भरतकुलभूषण! शास्त्रोक्त विधिसे द्वारकापुरीको रक्षाके सभी उत्तम उपायोंसे सम्पन्न किया गया था। कुरुश्रेष्ठ! शत्रुओंका सामना करनेमें समर्थ गद, साम्ब और उद्धव आदि अनेक वीर पुरुष नाना प्रकारके बहुसंख्यक रथोंद्वारा पुरीकी रक्षामें दत्तचित थे। जो अत्यन्त विख्यात कुलोंमें उत्पन्न थे तथा युद्धके अवसरोंपर जिनके बल-वीर्यका परिचय मिल चुका था, ऐसे वीर रक्षक मध्यम गुल्म (नगरके मध्यवर्ती दुर्ग)-में स्थित हो पुरीकी पूर्णतः रक्षा कर रहे थे। सबको प्रमादसे बचानेवाले उग्रसेन और उद्धव आदिने शत्रुओंके गुल्मोंको नष्ट करनेकी शक्ति रखनेवाले घुड़सवारोंके हाथमें झंडे देकर समूचे नगरमें यह घोषणा करा दी थी कि किसीको भी मद्यपान नहीं करना चाहिये

Transliteration

madhyamena ca gulmena rakṣibhiḥ sā surakṣitā | utkṣipta-gulmaiś ca tathā hayaiś ca sapatākibhiḥ |

Translation

Vāyu said: “That city was thoroughly guarded by watchmen stationed in the central defensive post (the ‘middle garrison’). It was also protected by cavalry bearing banners, capable of breaking up and scattering the enemy’s formations. Thus, in accordance with the prescribed rules of statecraft, the city’s defense was arranged with every excellent precaution—so that vigilance, discipline, and readiness for battle would prevail, and negligence born of intoxication would find no place.”

Word by Word

• {'madhyamena': 'by/with the middle (central)', 'gulmena': 'by a garrison

• here, the central defensive post', 'rakṣibhiḥ': 'by guards, protectors (instrumental plural)', 'sā': 'she/that (city) (feminine pronoun)', 'surakṣitā': 'well-protected, securely guarded', 'utkṣipta': 'raised up

• (in context) able to lift/scatter, to break apart', 'gulmaiḥ': 'with/against enemy detachments/formations (plural of gulma)', 'tathā': 'and also

• likewise', 'hayaiḥ': 'by horses

• by cavalry (instrumental plural)', 'sapatākibhiḥ': 'with banners/standards

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• guards (rakṣin)
• gulma (garrison/formation)
• cavalry (haya)
• banners/standards (patākā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Effective protection of a community depends on disciplined organization and constant vigilance: defenses must be arranged according to proper policy (śāstra), with trained guards and mobile forces, and with measures that prevent negligence—especially the laxity that can arise from intoxication.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu describes a city’s security arrangement: guards occupy the central garrison while banner-bearing cavalry stand ready to disrupt enemy formations, indicating a well-planned, rule-based defensive posture meant to keep the populace and defenders alert and battle-ready.