Shloka 3
Vāsudeva’s Upadeśa: The Inner Enemy and the Indra–Vṛtra Precedent (आत्मशत्रु-बोधः; इन्द्र-वृत्रोपाख्यानम्)
निर्विण्णमनसं पार्थ ज्ञात्वा वृष्णिकुलोदह: | आश्वासयन् धर्मसुतं प्रवक्तुमुपचक्रमे
vaiśampāyana uvāca | nirviṇṇamanasaṃ pārtha jñātvā vṛṣṇikulodvahaḥ | āśvāsayan dharmasutaṃ pravaktum upacakrame ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: Al saber que Pārtha (Yudhiṣṭhira), con la mente hundida en el desaliento, se había cansado y desencantado—en especial de la realeza—Kṛṣṇa, el más excelso de la estirpe de los Vṛṣṇi, comenzó a consolar al hijo de Dharma y dio inicio a su discurso.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a key ethical tension: after catastrophic violence among relatives, even a righteous ruler may feel revulsion toward power. Dharma is not merely personal purity or withdrawal; it also includes steadiness, counsel, and the responsible acceptance of duty. Kṛṣṇa’s role begins here as a moral stabilizer—redirecting grief into principled action.
Yudhiṣṭhira has become deeply dejected and disinclined toward ruling in the aftermath of the war and the deaths of kin. Recognizing this inner collapse, Kṛṣṇa—described as the foremost of the Vṛṣṇis—reassures him and begins a speech meant to restore his resolve and clarify his dharmic obligations.