Shloka 41

Droṇa’s Conditional Boon: The Plan to Capture Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रोणेन युधिष्ठिरग्रहणोपायः)

Devanagari script

न वेद कृष्णं दाशार्हमर्जुनं चैव पाण्डवम्‌ । पूर्वदेवी महात्मानौ नरनारायणावुभौ

Transliteration

na veda kṛṣṇaṃ dāśārham arjunaṃ caiva pāṇḍavam | pūrvadevī mahātmānau naranārāyaṇāv ubhau ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : « Elle ne reconnut ni Kṛṣṇa de la lignée des Dāśārha, ni Arjuna le Pāṇḍava—ces deux êtres magnanimes qui, jadis, furent le couple divin Nara et Nārāyaṇa. »

Word by Word

नnot

वेदknows

कृष्णम्Krishna

दाशार्हम्the Dasharha (descendant of Daśārha)

अर्जुनम्Arjuna

चand

एवindeed/just

पाण्डवम्the Pandava (son of Pandu)

पूर्वदेवीthe former goddess (a goddess of old)

महात्मानौthe two great-souled ones

नरनारायणौNara and Narayana

उभौboth

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kṛṣṇa

Dāśārha (clan)

Arjuna

Pāṇḍava

Pūrvadevī (a divine lady/goddess)

Nara

Nārāyaṇa

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 that true spiritual stature and dharma may remain unrecognized when one is clouded by ignorance or circumstance; Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are presented as the timeless divine pair Nara–Nārāyaṇa appearing again, implying continuity of righteous purpose across ages.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that a divine lady (pūrvadevī) fails to recognize Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna in their present forms, though they are in essence the ancient divine duo Nara and Nārāyaṇa—an identification that elevates their role in the unfolding events of the war.