Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वैशग्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तास्तत: सर्वे भ्रातरो विपुलौजस: । वार्ष्णेय: पाण्डवेयौ च प्रतस्थुर्मागधध॑ प्रति,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! युधिष्ठिरके ऐसा कहनेपर वे सब महातेजस्वी भाई--श्रीकृष्ण, अर्जुन और भीमसेन मगधराज जरासंधसे भिड़नेके लिये उसकी राजधानीकी ओर चल दिये

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: evam uktās tataḥ sarve bhrātaro vipulaujasaḥ | vārṣṇeyaḥ pāṇḍaveyau ca pratasthur māgadhādhipaṃ prati ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Cuando Yudhiṣṭhira hubo hablado así, todos aquellos hermanos de gran brío—junto con el Vārṣṇeya (Kṛṣṇa) y los héroes Pāṇḍava—partieron hacia el señor de Magadha, resueltos a enfrentar a Jarāsandha en su propia sede de poder.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

उक्ताःhaving been addressed / spoken to

ततःthen, thereafter

सर्वेall

भ्रातरःbrothers

विपुलौजसःof great vigor/energy

वार्ष्णेयःVārṣṇeya (Kṛṣṇa)

पाण्डवेयौthe two Pāṇḍava princes (Arjuna and Bhīma)

चand

प्रतस्थुःset out, departed

मागधम्the Magadhan (Jarāsandha) / the king of Magadha

प्रतिtowards, against

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kṛṣṇa (Vārṣṇeya)

Arjuna

Bhīmasena

Jarāsandha

Magadha

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?

Righteous intent must be matched by disciplined, collective action: when a just decision is made, capable allies proceed with resolve to confront oppressive power, ideally in a manner consistent with dharma rather than personal anger.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Yudhiṣṭhira’s words, the powerful brothers—along with Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍava champions (notably Arjuna and Bhīma in this context)—depart toward Magadha to face King Jarāsandha, moving toward his capital to challenge him directly.