Shloka 22
कृपकर्णसंवादः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Karṇa on Deśa-Kāla and Coordinated Strategy
कृष्ण इत्येव दशमं नाम चक्रे पिता मम । कृष्णावदातस्य ततः प्रियत्वादू बालकस्य वै,मुझे पकड़ना या तिरस्कृत करना बहुत कठिन है। मैं इन्द्रका पुत्र एवं शत्रुदमन विजयी वीर हूँ, इसलिये देवताओं और मनुष्योंमें 'जिष्णु” नामसे मेरी ख्याति हुई है। (कृष्णशब्दका अर्थ है--श्यामवर्ण तथा मनको आकर्षित करनेवाला) मेरे शरीरका रंग कृष्ण-गौर है तथा बाल्यावस्थामें चित्ताकर्षक होनेके कारण मैं पिताजीको बहुत प्रिय था। अतः मेरे पिताने ही मेरा दसवाँ नाम “कृष्ण” रखा था
arjuna uvāca | kṛṣṇa ityeva daśamaṃ nāma cakre pitā mama | kṛṣṇāvadātasya tataḥ priyatvād bālakasya vai |
Arjuna said: “My father gave me a tenth name—‘Kṛṣṇa’—for I was a child of dark-and-fair complexion, and because, being charming in my boyhood, I was especially dear to him.”
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how names and epithets arise from observable qualities and relationships: Arjuna’s name ‘Kṛṣṇa’ is linked to his complexion and to paternal affection, showing that identity in the epic is shaped both by personal traits and by social/familial bonds.
In the Virāṭa Parva, Arjuna is explaining his own names and reputation. Here he states that his father bestowed the name ‘Kṛṣṇa’ as an additional (tenth) name because Arjuna, as a child, was pleasing and dear, and had a dark-and-fair complexion.