Shloka 26

धृतराष्ट्र-संजय संवादः — उपप्लव्यगमनाज्ञा

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue: Command to Proceed to Upaplavya

Devanagari script

अस्तम्भनीयं युधि मनन्‍्यमानो ज्यां कर्षतां श्रेष्ठतमं पृथिव्याम्‌ । सर्वोत्साहं क्षत्रियाणां निहत्य प्रसह कृष्णस्तरसा सम्ममर्द,(युधिष्ठिरके राजसूययज्ञमें) चेदि और करूषदेशके भूपाल सब प्रकारकी तैयारीसे संगठित होकर आये थे। उन सबके बीचमें चेदिराज शिशुपाल अपनी दिव्य शोभासे तपते हुए सूर्यकी भाँति प्रकाशित हो रहा था। युद्धमें उसके वेगको रोकना असम्भव था। धनुषकी प्रत्यंचा खींचनेवाले भूमण्डलके सभी योद्धाओंमें शिशुपाल एक श्रेष्ठतम वीर था। यह सब समझकर भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णने वहाँ चेदिदेशीय क्षत्रियोंके सम्पूर्ण उत्साहको नष्ट करके हठपूर्वक बड़े वेगसे शिशुपालको मार डाला पराभवो द्वैतवने य आसीद्‌ दुर्मन्त्रिते घोषयात्रागतानाम्‌ । यत्र मन्दाउछत्रुवशं प्रयाता- नमोचयद्‌ भीमसेनो जयश्नल कर्णकी खोटी सलाहके अनुसार घोषयात्रामें गये हुए धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रोंकी द्वैतवनमें जो पराजय हुई थी, उसमें वे सभी मन्दबुद्धि कौरव शत्रुओंके अधीन हो गये थे। उस समय भीमसेन और अर्जुनने ही उन्हें बन्धनसे मुक्त किया था

Transliteration

astambhanīyaṃ yudhi manyamāno jyāṃ karṣatāṃ śreṣṭhatamaṃ pṛthivyām | sarvotsāhaṃ kṣatriyāṇāṃ nihatya prasaha kṛṣṇas tarasā sammamarda ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Thinking him irresistible in battle and the foremost among all archers on earth who draw the bowstring, Kṛṣṇa crushed him down with overpowering speed—after first shattering the entire martial ardor of the kṣatriyas. The passage underscores a hard ethical tension in the epic: when pride and aggression swell into a threat to order, decisive force may be used to curb it, even against a celebrated warrior.

Word by Word

अस्तम्भनीयम्unstoppable, not to be checked

युधिin battle

मन्यमानःthinking, considering

ज्याम्bowstring

कर्षताम्of those who draw (the bowstring)

श्रेष्ठतमम्the very best

पृथिव्याम्on earth

सर्वोत्साहम्all zeal/enthusiasm

क्षत्रियाणाम्of the kshatriyas

निहत्यhaving destroyed/slain

प्रसहforcibly, by force

कृष्णःKrishna

तरसाwith speed/force

सम्ममर्दcrushed, struck down

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kṛṣṇa

kṣatriyas

bowstring (jyā)

earth/world (pṛthivī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the epic’s ethical realism: extraordinary prowess and collective martial enthusiasm can become dangerous when driven by pride or aggression, and then decisive restraint—sometimes forceful—may be required to protect order (dharma) and prevent wider harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker describes a situation where a warrior is regarded as unstoppable and the best among archers; Kṛṣṇa, after breaking the fighting spirit of the assembled kṣatriyas, forcibly subdues/crushes him with swift power.