Shloka 8

Dyūta-doṣa-prakāśana — Kṛṣṇa’s Critique of Gambling and the Exile Crisis

Devanagari script

उक्तवांश्व महाबाहो क्वासौ वृष्णिकुलाधम: । वासुदेव: स मन्दात्मा वसुदेवसुतो गत:,महाबाहो! उसने यादवोंसे पूछा--“वह वृष्णिकुलका कलंक मन्दात्मा वसुदेवपुत्र वासुदेव कहाँ है?

Transliteration

uktavānś ca mahābāho kvāsau vṛṣṇikulādhamaḥ | vāsudevaḥ sa mandātmā vasudevasuto gataḥ ||

Translation

Dijo: «Oh, de brazos poderosos, ¿dónde está ese oprobio del clan de los Vṛṣṇi, Vāsudeva, ese de alma torpe, hijo de Vasudeva? ¿Adónde ha ido?»

Word by Word

उक्तवान्having said / said

चand

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

क्वwhere?

असौthat (person) there

वृष्णि-कुल-अधमःthe lowest/disgrace of the Vrishni clan

वासुदेवःVasudeva (Krishna)

सःhe

मन्दात्माdull-minded / vile-souled

वसुदेव-सुतःson of Vasudeva

गतःgone / departed

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mahābāhu (the addressee, 'mighty-armed one')

Vṛṣṇi-kula (Vṛṣṇi clan)

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Vasudeva (Kṛṣṇa's father)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse illustrates how abusive speech functions as a moral weapon: by branding someone with clan-shaming and character-slurs, the speaker attempts to delegitimize the opponent and incite reaction. It implicitly warns that adharma can begin with words—contempt and provocation that corrode restraint and right conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker addresses a warrior-like figure (“mahābāho”) and, in a taunting tone, asks where Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa), called the son of Vasudeva, has gone—while simultaneously insulting him as a disgrace to the Vṛṣṇi clan and as ‘dull-souled.’ The line signals confrontation and attempts to provoke or challenge Kṛṣṇa’s side.