Shloka 24
कृष्णाश्रया: कृष्णबला: कृष्णनाथाश्न पाण्डवा: । कृष्ण: परायणं चैषां ज्योतिषामिव चन्द्रमा:,“श्रीकृष्ण ही पाण्डवोंके आश्रय, बल और रक्षक हैं। जैसे नक्षत्रोंके परम आश्रय चन्द्रमा हैं, उसी प्रकार इन पाण्डवोंका सबसे बड़ा सहारा श्रीकृष्ण हैं
sañjaya uvāca | kṛṣṇāśrayāḥ kṛṣṇabalāḥ kṛṣṇanāthāś ca pāṇḍavāḥ | kṛṣṇaḥ parāyaṇaṃ caiṣāṃ jyotiṣām iva candramāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The Pāṇḍavas rest upon Kṛṣṇa; their strength is Kṛṣṇa; their protector and lord is Kṛṣṇa. For them Kṛṣṇa is the highest refuge—just as the moon is the supreme support and guiding light among the heavenly luminaries. Ethically, the line underscores that true power in a righteous cause is grounded not merely in arms, but in steadfast reliance on a dharmic guide and protector.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the Pāṇḍavas’ true security and strength lie in taking refuge in Kṛṣṇa as their guiding protector; in a dharmic struggle, moral clarity and divine-aligned leadership become the decisive support, like the moon steadying and orienting the lights of the night sky.
In the midst of the Drona Parva war account, Sañjaya describes the Pāṇḍavas’ position and morale by emphasizing their dependence on Kṛṣṇa—portraying him as their refuge, strength, and lord—using the moon-and-stars simile to convey his central, sustaining role.