Shloka 32

Droṇa’s Conditional Boon: The Plan to Capture Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रोणेन युधिष्ठिरग्रहणोपायः)

Devanagari script

यमाहु: सर्वपितरं वासुदेव॑ द्विजातय: । अपि वा होष पाण्डूनां योत्स्यते<र्थाय संजय

Transliteration

yamāhuḥ sarvapitaram vāsudevaṃ dvijātayaḥ | api vā hoṣa pāṇḍūnāṃ yotsyate 'rthāya saṃjaya ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “The twice-born declare Vāsudeva to be the universal Father of all. Or else, O Saṃjaya, he will fight for the sake of the Pāṇḍavas.”

Word by Word

यम्whom

आहुःthey have said / they call

सर्वपितरम्the father of all

वासुदेवम्Vasudeva (Krishna)

द्विजातयःthe twice-born (Brahmins etc.)

अपिalso / even / moreover

वाor

होindeed (expletive particle)

एषthis (man)

पाण्डूनाम्of the Pandus / of the Pandavas

योत्स्यतेwill fight

अर्थायfor the sake (of)

संजयO Sanjaya

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Saṃjaya

Pāṇḍavas

Dvijātis (twice-born)

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 verse juxtaposes Vāsudeva’s cosmic status—revered by the learned as the universal Father—with his concrete ethical role in history: acting for the welfare of the Pāṇḍavas. It frames divine greatness not as detachment alone, but as purposeful support of dharma in a crisis.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, narrating to the listener, remarks that Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) is acclaimed by the twice-born as the father of all; yet, in the unfolding war context, he is also presented as one who will take up action—fighting, if needed—for the Pāṇḍavas’ cause, addressing Saṃjaya in the statement.