Shloka 23

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच ततस्ते पुरुषव्याप्रा: सदश्वैरनिलोपमै: । अभ्ययु: सहदाशार्हा: शिबिरं पुनरेव हि,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन! भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्ण-सहित वे पुरुषसिंह पाण्डव वहाँसे वायुके समान वेगशाली उत्तम घोड़ोंद्वारा पुन: अपने शिविरमें आ पहुँचे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | tataste puruṣavyāprāḥ sadaśvair anilopamaiḥ | abhyayuḥ sahadāśārhāḥ śibiraṃ punar eva hi ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: Entonces aquellos héroes enérgicos, acompañados por Dāśārha (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), montaron excelentes caballos, veloces como el viento, y regresaron de nuevo a su campamento. En la sombría resaca de la violencia nocturna, el verso subraya el retorno deliberado y la vigilancia: acción resuelta bajo el peso moral de la guerra.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

ततःthen; thereafter

तेthey

पुरुषव्याप्राःtigers among men; great heroes

सदश्वैःwith excellent horses

अनिलोपमैःwind-like (in speed)

अभ्ययुःcame; approached

सहtogether with

दाशार्हाःthe Dāśārhas (Krishna and his people); here: Krishna’s party

शिबिरम्camp

पुनःagain

एवindeed; just

हिfor; indeed

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dāśārha (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

Pāṇḍavas (implied by context of 'those heroes')

Śibira (camp)

Horses

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?

Even amid the moral darkness of war’s aftermath, disciplined action and vigilance are required. The heroes’ swift return with Kṛṣṇa highlights purposeful movement under guidance, suggesting steadiness and responsibility rather than complacency.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the events leading into this section of the Sauptika Parva, the heroes—accompanied by Śrī Kṛṣṇa—mount excellent, wind-swift horses and return again to their military camp.