Shloka 28

कुरुक्षेत्रे सेनानिवेशवृत्तान्तः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra Questions Saṃjaya on the Deployed Armies

Devanagari script

उक्तो मया वासुदेव: पुनः पुनरुपह्नरे । सम्बन्धिषु समां वृत्तिं वर्तस्व मधुसूदन

Transliteration

ukto mayā vāsudevaḥ punaḥ punar upahvare | sambandhiṣu samāṃ vṛttiṃ vartasva madhusūdana ||

Translation

मैंने एकान्त में वासुदेव से बार-बार कहा—‘हे मधुसूदन! अपने सभी सम्बन्धियों के प्रति समान भाव से आचरण करो।’

Word by Word

• {'uktaḥ': 'told, addressed', 'mayā': 'by me', 'vāsudevaḥ': 'Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)', 'punaḥ punaḥ': 'again and again, repeatedly', 'upahvare': 'in a secluded place

• privately', 'sambandhiṣu': 'toward relatives/kinsmen

• among those connected by relationship', 'samām': 'equal, impartial', 'vṛttim': 'conduct, attitude, behavior', 'vartasva': 'conduct yourself

• behave (imperative)', 'madhusūdana': 'slayer of Madhu

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Madhusūdana
• Pāṇḍavas
• King Duryodhana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical ideal of samatā (even-handedness): one should maintain equal conduct toward all relatives, not letting factional loyalty override fairness—especially in a tense political crisis.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a private counsel given to Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva): he is urged to treat both sides—Pāṇḍavas and Duryodhana—as equally connected and to extend support rather than taking a partisan stance, reflecting the diplomatic pressures before the war.