Shloka 20

Devanagari script

वनमाली तत: क्षीब:ः कैलासशिखरोपम: । नीलवासा मदोत्सिक्त इदं वचनमब्रवीत्‌,तदनन्तर कैलासशिखरके समान गौरवर्णवाले नील वस्त्र और वनमाला धारण करनेवाले बलरामजी उन यादवोंसे इस प्रकार बोले---

Transliteration

vanamālī tataḥ kṣībaḥ kailāsaśikharopamaḥ | nīlavāsā madotsikta idaṃ vacanam abravīt |

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Entonces Balarāma—con guirnalda de flores del bosque, embriagado, vestido de azul y majestuoso como la cumbre del monte Kailāsa—dirigió estas palabras a los Yādavas.

Word by Word

वनमालीwearing a forest-garland

ततःthen/thereupon

क्षीबःintoxicated

कैलासशिखरोपमःlike the peak of Kailāsa

नीलवासाwearing blue garments

मदोत्सिक्तःpuffed up/overexcited with intoxication

इदम्this

वचनम्speech/words

अब्रवीत्said/spoke

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Balarāma

Kailāsa (Mount Kailāsa)

vanamālā (forest garland)

nīlavāsa (blue garments)

Yādavas (implied audience in the narrative context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension between authority and self-mastery: even a respected elder’s counsel is colored by their state of mind, so restraint (especially regarding intoxication and pride) is crucial when guiding others.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Balarāma’s imposing appearance—garlanded, in blue, likened to Kailāsa—and notes that he is intoxicated; in that condition he begins to address the Yādavas, setting up the speech that follows.