Shloka 25

Virāṭa-sabhāyāṃ Saṃniveśaḥ — Assembly at Virāṭa’s Hall and Kṛṣṇa’s Diplomatic Counsel

Devanagari script

निशम्य वाक्‍्यं तु जनार्दनस्य धर्मार्थयुक्त मधुरं समं च

Transliteration

niśamya vākyaṃ tu janārdanasya dharmārthayuktaṃ madhuraṃ samaṃ ca | rājan bhagavān śrīkṛṣṇasya dharma-artha-yuktaṃ madhuraṃ ubhayapakṣāya samānārūpeṇa hitakaraṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā tasya jyeṣṭhabhrātā balarāmaḥ tasya bhāṣaṇasya bhūri-bhūri praśaṃsāṃ kṛtvā svavaktavyam ārabhata ||

Translation

Ô Roi, ayant entendu les paroles de Janārdana — douces de ton, fondées sur le dharma et l’intérêt concret, et bénéfiques avec impartialité aux deux camps — Balarāma, le frère aîné du Seigneur Śrī Kṛṣṇa, loua ce discours maintes et maintes fois, puis commença à exposer son propre avis.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'niśamya', 'definition': 'having heard, after listening'}, {'term': 'vākya', 'definition': 'speech, statement, utterance'}, {'term': 'janārdana', 'definition': 'Janārdana (epithet of Kṛṣṇa

• ‘remover of afflictions/foes’)'}, {'term': 'dharma', 'definition': 'righteous duty, moral order, rightful conduct'}, {'term': 'artha', 'definition': 'practical welfare, purpose, polity/advantage'}, {'term': 'dharmārthayukta', 'definition': 'aligned with dharma and artha

• ethically sound and practically wise'}, {'term': 'madhura', 'definition': 'sweet, gentle, pleasing (in expression)'}, {'term': 'sama', 'definition': 'even, impartial, balanced'}, {'term': 'rājan', 'definition': 'O King (address)'}, {'term': 'bhagavān', 'definition': 'the Blessed Lord

• venerable divine person'}, {'term': 'śrīkṛṣṇa', 'definition': 'Śrī Kṛṣṇa'}, {'term': 'ubhayapakṣa', 'definition': 'both parties/sides'}, {'term': 'hitakara', 'definition': 'beneficial, conducive to welfare'}, {'term': 'jyeṣṭhabhrātā', 'definition': 'elder brother'}, {'term': 'balarāma', 'definition': 'Balarāma (elder brother of Kṛṣṇa)'}, {'term': 'bhāṣaṇa', 'definition': 'speech, discourse'}, {'term': 'bhūri-bhūri', 'definition': 'again and again

• abundantly'}, {'term': 'praśaṃsā', 'definition': 'praise, commendation'}, {'term': 'ārabhata', 'definition': 'began, commenced'}]

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Balarāma
• Rājan (the King addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Speech meant to avert conflict should be ethically grounded (dharma), practically wise (artha), gentle in expression (madhura), and impartial (sama), aiming at the welfare of all parties rather than partisan victory.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Kṛṣṇa delivers a balanced and beneficial counsel, Balarāma—his elder brother—responds by repeatedly praising that discourse and then begins to present his own statement, marking a transition to Balarāma’s viewpoint in the dialogue.