Mahabharata 3.21.14 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 14
Dvārakā’s Distress and the Saubha Engagement (द्वारकाव्यग्रता तथा सौभयुद्धम्)
तदलं साधु युद्धेन निवर्तस्व जनार्दन | द्वारकामेव रक्षस्व कार्यमेतन्महत् तव,“जनार्दन! अब युद्ध करके क्या लेना है? लौट आओ। द्वारकाकी ही रक्षा करो। तुम्हारे लिये यही सबसे महान् कार्य है”
tad alaṃ sādhu yuddhena nivartasva janārdana | dvārakām eva rakṣasva kāryam etan mahat tava ||
વાયુએ કહ્યું— “જનાર્દન! હવે યુદ્ધ કરીને શું લાભ? પાછા વળો. માત્ર દ્વારકાની રક્ષા કરો; આ સમયે તમારા માટે આ જ મહાન કાર્ય છે।”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches contextual dharma: even for a warrior, fighting is not always the highest good. When a greater responsibility—protecting one’s people and homeland—demands attention, restraint and return can be the more righteous course.
Vāyudeva addresses Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa), urging him to stop pursuing battle and instead return to safeguard Dvārakā, presenting the protection of the city as Kṛṣṇa’s paramount task at that moment.
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