Shloka 24

वसुदेव–अर्जुन संवादः

Vasudeva–Arjuna Dialogue in the Aftermath of Dvārakā

Devanagari script

तं॑ चिताग्निगतं वीरं शूरपुत्रं वराड़ना: । ततोअ<न्वारुरुहुः पत्न्यशक्षतसत्र: पतिलोकगा:,चिताकी प्रज्वलित अग्निमें सोये हुए वीर शूरपुत्र वसुदेवजीके साथ उनकी पूर्वोक्त चारों पत्नियाँ भी चितापर जा बैठीं और उन्हींके साथ भस्म हो पतिलोकको प्राप्त हुईं

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: taṁ citāgnigataṁ vīraṁ śūraputraṁ varāṅganāḥ | tato ’nvāruhuḥ patnyaś catasraḥ patilokagāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Lorsque ce héros, fils de Śūra (Vasudeva), fut entré dans le feu du bûcher, les femmes nobles — ses quatre épouses — montèrent à leur tour sur le bûcher derrière lui. Consumées avec lui, elles atteignirent le monde de leur époux. Le passage propose un idéal âpre de fidélité conjugale tel qu’il se comprend dans le cadre narratif de l’épopée, tout en soulignant la finalité tragique qui suit la destruction des Yādava dans le Mausala Parva.

Word by Word

तम्him

चand

चिताग्निगतंgone into the funeral-pyre fire / lying in the pyre-fire

वीरम्hero

शूरपुत्रम्son of Śūra (Vasudeva)

वराङ्गनाःnoble women

ततःthen/from thereupon

अन्वारुरुहुःthey mounted/ascended after (him)

पत्न्यःwives

अक्षतसत्राःwhose sacrificial session was unbroken/undiminished (epithet)

पतिलोकगाःgone to the world of (their) husband

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vasudeva (Śūraputra)

the funeral pyre (citā)

fire (agni)

Vasudeva’s four wives (patnyaḥ catasraḥ)

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 reflects an epic-era ideal of pativratā-dharma—exclusive devotion to one’s husband—linked with the belief that such fidelity leads to attaining the husband’s realm after death. It also situates personal dharma within the larger collapse of the Yādava line, emphasizing impermanence and the inevitability of death.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Vasudeva (called the son of Śūra) is placed in the burning funeral pyre, his four wives ascend the pyre after him and are burned with him, thereby said to reach the world of their husband.