Shloka 151
अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायः (Anukramaṇikā Adhyāya) — Invocation, Narrator Frame, and Textual Scope
यदाश्रौषं द्वारकायां सुभद्रां प्रसह्योढां माधवीमर्जुनेन । इन्द्रप्रस्थं वृष्णिवीरी च यातौ तदा नाशंसे विजयाय संजय,संजय! जब मैंने सुना कि अर्जुनने द्वारकामें मधुवंशकी राजकुमारी (और श्रीकृष्णकी बहिन) सुभद्राको बलपूर्वक हरण कर लिया और श्रीकृष्ण एवं बलराम (इस घटनाका विरोध न कर) दहेज लेकर इन्द्रप्रस्थमें आये, तभी समझ लिया था कि मेरी विजय नहीं हो सकती
yadāśrauṣaṃ dvārakāyāṃ subhadrāṃ prasahyōḍhāṃ mādhavīm arjunena | indraprasthaṃ vṛṣṇivīrī ca yātau tadā nāśaṃse vijayāya saṃjaya ||
Cuando oí que en Dvārakā, Subhadrā—la princesa de los Mādhava—había sido arrebatada por Arjuna por la fuerza, y que los héroes vṛṣṇis también habían llegado a Indraprastha, aceptando lo ocurrido en vez de oponerse, entonces, Sañjaya, dejé de esperar la victoria para mí. La alianza del clan de Kṛṣṇa con los Pāṇḍavas hizo que mi triunfo pareciera imposible.
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how decisive moral and political legitimacy can be in determining outcomes: when powerful allies align with a cause perceived as rightful, opponents lose confidence. It also raises ethical tension around kṣatriya marriage practices—‘forcible carrying off’—inviting reflection on how custom, consent, and dharma are interpreted in epic society.
The speaker recalls hearing that Arjuna carried off Subhadrā from Dvārakā and that the Vṛṣṇi heroes subsequently came to Indraprastha, effectively accepting the match and aligning with the Pāṇḍavas. From that moment, the speaker concludes that his own side cannot realistically win.