Mahabharata 3.12.44 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 12, Shloka 44

Kirmīra-rākṣasa-saṃgamaḥ (Encounter and Slaying of Kirmīra) | किर्मीरेण सह भीमसेनसमागमः

Devanagari script

वे दोनों आपकी ही आज्ञाका पालन करनेवाले हैं

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca—evam uktvā mahātmānam ātmā kṛṣṇasya pāṇḍavaḥ | tūṣṇīm āsīt tataḥ pārtham ity uvāca janārdanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Setelah berkata demikian kepada sang mahātmā, Pāṇḍava Arjuna—seakan perwujudan jiwa Kṛṣṇa—terdiam. Lalu Janārdana berkata kepada Pārtha (Arjuna) sebagai berikut—”

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• उक्त्वा: having said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• महात्मानम्: the great-souled one
• महात्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मा: the self (person)
• आत्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृष्णस्य: of Kṛṣṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पाण्डवः: the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)
• पाण्डवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तूष्णीम्: silently
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूष्णीम्

• आसीत्: sat/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• पार्थम्: Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)
• जनार्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Kṛṣṇa (Nārāyaṇa, Janārdana, Puṇḍarīkākṣa)
• Arjuna (Pārtha, Pāṇḍava, Pāṇḍunandana, Kuntīkumar)
• Nārada
• Baladeva
• Caitraratha-vana
• Kailāsa-parvata
• brāhmaṇas
• yajñas
• mahāsatra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic posture of humility and restraint: after acknowledging divine greatness, Arjuna becomes silent, and the narrative signals that true guidance now comes from the divine voice (Janārdana). It frames ethical learning as arising after reverence, not mere argument.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna, having finished speaking to the great-souled Kṛṣṇa, falls silent. Then Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana) begins to reply to Arjuna, marking a shift from Arjuna’s praise to Kṛṣṇa’s forthcoming instruction.