Shloka 9

Devanagari script

न वासुदेवो वार्ष्णेयो धर्मराजश्व॒ पाण्डव:

Transliteration

na vāsudevo vārṣṇeyo dharmarājaś ca pāṇḍavaḥ

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra says: “Neither Vāsudeva, the Vārṣṇeya (Kṛṣṇa), nor Dharmarāja, the Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira)…”—a troubled, incredulous reflection that frames the coming account in terms of moral authority: even figures renowned for righteousness and restraint are being drawn into the inexorable crisis of war.

Word by Word

नnot

वासुदेवःVāsudeva (Krishna)

वार्ष्णेयःVārṣṇeya (descendant of Vṛṣṇi; Krishna)

धर्मराजःDharma-rāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

चand

पाण्डवःthe Pāṇḍava (son of Pāṇḍu; here likely Arjuna or a Pāṇḍava in general)

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Vārṣṇeya (Kṛṣṇa)

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line invokes Kṛṣṇa and Yudhiṣṭhira as benchmarks of dharma and self-control, highlighting that when even the most ethically grounded leaders are implicated, the conflict has reached a stage where moral order is under severe strain and every action must be weighed against dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra begins a statement (continued in subsequent verses) expressing anxious disbelief and moral unease, naming Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) and Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja) as central figures whose involvement underscores the gravity of the unfolding war situation.