Shloka 1
Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 17 — Śālva’s encampment and the Yādava counter-engagement at Dvārakā
/ हि आय ० () है 7 सप्तदशो< ध्याय: प्रद्युम्म और शाल्वका घोर युद्ध वायुदेव उवाच एवमुक्त्वा रौक्मिणेयो यादवान् भरतर्षभ । दंशितै्हरिभियुक्ते रथमास्थाय काज्चनम्
vāyudeva uvāca |
evam uktvā raukmiṇeyo yādavān bharatarṣabha |
daṃśitair haribhir yukte ratham āsthāya kāñcanam ||
Vāyudeva said: Having spoken thus, O bull among the Bharatas, Raukmiṇeya (Pradyumna), foremost among the Yādavas, mounted his golden chariot, yoked with well-armoured horses. The verse sets the scene for a grave combat, highlighting the warrior’s readiness and disciplined resolve as he enters battle after deliberate speech—action following counsel, not impulse.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores disciplined action: after measured speech, the warrior equips himself and proceeds to duty. Ethically, it models that force is to be undertaken with preparedness and resolve, not rashness.
After speaking, Pradyumna (Raukmiṇeya) mounts a golden chariot harnessed with armoured horses, signaling the immediate commencement of a fierce battle episode (contextually, the Pradyumna–Śālva conflict).