Shloka 12

कुन्ती-विलापः तथा गोविन्द-आश्वासनम्

Kuntī’s Lament and Govinda’s Consolation

Devanagari script

तिस््र: क॒क्ष्या व्यतिक्रम्प केशवो राजवेश्मन: । वैचित्रवीर्य राजानमभ्यगच्छदरिंदम:,उस राजभवनकी तीन ड्यौढ़ियोंको पार करके शत्रुसूदन केशव विचित्रवीर्यकुमार राजा धृतराष्ट्रके समीप गये

Transliteration

tisraḥ kakṣyā vyatikramya keśavo rājaveśmanaḥ | vaicitravīrya-rājānam abhyagacchad arindamaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Ayant franchi les trois portes intérieures du palais royal, Keśava —le dompteur des ennemis— s’approcha du roi Dhṛtarāṣṭra, fils de Vicitravīrya.

Word by Word

तिस्रःthree

कक्ष्याःgateways/antechambers (thresholds)

व्यतिक्रम्यhaving crossed/passed beyond

केशवःKeshava (Krishna)

राजवेश्मनःof the royal palace

वैचित्रवीर्यराजानम्the king, son/descendant of Vichitravirya (Dhritarashtra)

अभ्यगच्छत्went to/approached

अरिंदमःenemy-subduer

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Vicitravīrya

royal palace (rājaveśman)

three palace enclosures/gateways (tisraḥ kakṣyāḥ)

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?

Power and authority are approached best through discipline and purposeful conduct: Kṛṣṇa’s measured entry into the royal inner courts signals that ethical counsel must be delivered directly at the center of decision-making, especially when war is imminent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) crosses three guarded palace enclosures and goes to meet King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, identified as the son/descendant of Vicitravīrya, setting the stage for high-stakes counsel in the lead-up to conflict.