Shloka 25

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 29 — Arjuna’s defeat of Vṛṣaka–Acalā and the neutralization of Śakuni’s māyā

Devanagari script

ततोडर्जुनं वासुदेव: प्रत्युवाचार्थवद्‌ वच: । शृणु गुह्ामिदं पार्थ पुरा वृत्तं यथानघ,तब वसुदेवनन्दन भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णने अर्जुनसे ये रहस्यपूर्ण वचन कहे--“अनघ! कुन्तीनन्दन! इस विषयमें यह गोपनीय रहस्यकी बात सुनो, जो पूर्वकालमें घटित हो चुकी है

Transliteration

tato ’rjunaṃ vāsudevaḥ pratyuvācārthavad vacaḥ | śṛṇu guhyam idaṃ pārtha purā vṛttaṃ yathānagha ||

Translation

Then Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) addressed Arjuna with words full of meaning: “O Pārtha, listen to this secret matter—an ancient account as it truly happened, O blameless one.” In the midst of war, Kṛṣṇa frames his counsel as a confidential, time-tested truth, inviting Arjuna to receive guidance grounded in precedent and moral clarity.

Word by Word

• {'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'arjunam': 'to Arjuna (accusative singular)', 'vāsudevaḥ': 'Vāsudeva

• Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva', 'pratyuvāca': 'replied

• spoke in response', 'arthavat': 'meaningful, substantial, purposeful', 'vacaḥ': 'speech, words', 'śṛṇu': 'listen (imperative)', 'guhyam': 'secret, confidential, esoteric', 'idam': 'this', 'pārtha': 'son of Pṛthā (Kuntī)

• Arjuna', 'purā': 'formerly, in ancient times', 'vṛttam': 'that which occurred

• an event, account', 'yathā': 'as, just as

• in the manner of', 'anagha': 'blameless, sinless (vocative)'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Anagha (epithet of Arjuna)