Shloka 35

Devanagari script

शृणु चेदं वचो महां सत्येन वदत: प्रभो

Transliteration

śṛṇu cedam vaco mahān satyena vadataḥ prabho | prabho! satyena śapathaṃ kṛtvā yad vadāmi tan me vacaḥ śṛṇu | iṣṭāpūrta-dāna-dharma-ādi-śubha-karmabhiḥ śapathaṃ kṛtvā pratijānāmi—adya śrīkṛṣṇasya paśyataḥ sarvopāyair aśeṣān pāñcālān yamarāja-lokaṃ preṣayiṣyāmi | mahārāja! etad-arthaṃ mām adya ājñāpaya ||

Translation

សញ្ជ័យបាននិយាយថា៖ «ឱ ព្រះអម្ចាស់ សូមស្តាប់ពាក្យធ្ងន់ធ្ងរនេះ ដែលខ្ញុំប្រាប់ដោយសេចក្តីពិត។ ឱ ព្រះអម្ចាស់ ខ្ញុំស្បថដោយសេចក្តីពិត—សូមស្តាប់ខ្ញុំ។ ខ្ញុំស្បថដោយយជ្ញៈ និងការធ្វើបុណ្យសាធារណៈរបស់ខ្ញុំ ដោយទាន ដោយធម៌ និងដោយកុសលកម្មដ៏មង្គលផ្សេងៗ ហើយខ្ញុំធ្វើព្រះបន្ទូលសច្ចៈថា៖ ថ្ងៃនេះ ទោះបីព្រះក្រឹṣṇaកំពុងមើលឃើញក៏ដោយ ដោយគ្រប់វិធីសាស្ត្រទាំងអស់ ខ្ញុំនឹងបញ្ជូនបញ្ចាលទាំងអស់ ដោយមិនសល់ ទៅកាន់លោករបស់យមរាជ។ ឱ មហារាជ សូមប្រទានព្រះបញ្ជាឲ្យខ្ញុំសម្រាប់ការនេះ»។

Word by Word

• {'śṛṇu': 'hear, listen', 'idam vacaḥ / vaco': 'this speech, these words', 'mahān': 'great, weighty, momentous', 'satyena': 'by truth

• under an oath of truth', 'vadataḥ': 'of one who is speaking', 'prabho': 'O lord

• a respectful address', 'śapatha': 'oath, solemn vow', 'iṣṭa': 'sacrificial rites

• worship performed', 'āpūrta': 'public/charitable works (wells, tanks, rest-houses, etc.)', 'dāna': 'gift, charity', 'dharma': 'righteous duty

• moral law', 'śubha-karma': 'auspicious/meritorious deeds', 'pratijānāmi': 'I vow

• I solemnly promise', 'adya': 'today', 'śrīkṛṣṇasya paśyataḥ': 'while Śrī Kṛṣṇa is watching

• in Kṛṣṇa’s very presence', 'sarvopāyaiḥ': 'by all means/strategies', 'aśeṣān': 'without remainder

• entirely', 'pāñcālān': 'the Pāñcālas (people/warriors of Pañcāla)', 'yamarāja-loka': 'the world/realm of Yama (lord of death)', 'preṣayiṣyāmi': 'I will send (i.e., cause to go)

• I will dispatch', 'mahārāja': 'O great king', 'ājñāpaya': 'command

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Pāñcālas (Pañcāla people/warriors)
• Yamarāja
• Yamaloka (realm of Yama)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral weight of speech and vows: invoking truth, dharma, and meritorious deeds to authorize one’s promise makes the commitment ethically serious. At the same time, it exposes a tension—religious merit and dharma are being cited to justify a violent intention—inviting reflection on how sacred language can be used to legitimize warfare and vengeance.

What is happening in the narrative?

A warrior (reported by Sañjaya) addresses the king and seeks formal permission to act. He swears solemnly—by truth and by his religious/charitable merits—that he will, that very day, annihilate the Pāñcālas, even in the presence of Kṛṣṇa, and asks the king to authorize this plan.