Shloka 3

Devanagari script

गते द्वारवतीं कृष्णे बलदेवे च माधवे । सह वृष्ण्यन्धकै: सर्वेरभोजैश्न शतशस्तदा,जब मधुकुलनन्दन श्रीकृष्ण और बलभद्र सैकड़ों वृष्णि, अन्धक और भोजवंशी यादवोंको साथ ले द्वारकापुरीकी ओर चले थे, तभी धूृतराष्ट्रपुत्र राजा दुर्योधनने अपने नियुक्त किये हुए गुप्तचरोंसे पाण्डवोंकी सारी चेष्टाओंका पता लगा लिया था

Transliteration

gate dvāravatīṁ kṛṣṇe baladeve ca mādhave | saha vṛṣṇyandhakaiḥ sarvair bhojaiś ca śataśas tadā ||

Translation

वैशम्पायन बोले—जब मधुकुलनन्दन श्रीकृष्ण और बलराम (माधव और उनके अग्रज) सैकड़ों वृष्णि, अन्धक और भोजों सहित द्वारवती की ओर चले, तब धृतराष्ट्रपुत्र राजा दुर्योधन ने अपने गुप्तचरों द्वारा पाण्डवों की गतिविधियों पर कड़ी दृष्टि रखी।

Word by Word

गतेwhen (he) had gone

द्वारवतीम्to Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

कृष्णेwhen Kṛṣṇa (was gone)

बलदेवेand when Baladeva (was gone)

चand

माधवेin/when Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa) (was gone)

सहtogether with

वृष्णि-अन्धकैःwith the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas

सर्वैःwith all

भोजैःwith the Bhojas

शतशःby hundreds; in hundreds

तदाthen

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kṛṣṇa

Baladeva (Balarāma)

Mādhava (epithet of Kṛṣṇa)

Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Vṛṣṇis

Andhakas

Bhojas

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 underscores how major leaders’ movements carry ethical and political weight: in a dharma-crisis, vigilance, alliances, and preparedness shape outcomes. It hints that power struggles often turn on intelligence-gathering and strategic positioning, not merely open declarations.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva depart for Dvārakā with large contingents of the Vṛṣṇi, Andhaka, and Bhoja clans. This sets the stage for subsequent political maneuvers in the Udyoga Parva, where both sides monitor each other and seek advantage before war.