Shloka 12

Devanagari script

विराटद्रुपदौ चैव कृतवैराी मया सह । तौ च सेनाप्रणेतारौ वासुदेववशानुगौ,“विराट और ट्रुपद तो मेरे साथ पहलेसे ही वैर रखते हैं। वे दोनों पाण्डव-सेनाके संचालक तथा श्रीकृष्णकी आज्ञाके अधीन रहनेवाले हैं

Transliteration

virāṭa-drupadau caiva kṛta-vairau mayā saha | tau ca senā-praṇetārau vāsudeva-vaśānugau ||

Translation

ವಿರಾಟ ಮತ್ತು ದ್ರುಪದ—ಇಬ್ಬರೂ ನನ್ನೊಡನೆ ಮೊದಲಿನಿಂದಲೇ ವೈರ ಕಟ್ಟಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಮತ್ತೂ ಅವರು ಪಾಂಡವ ಸೇನೆಯನ್ನು ನಡೆಸುವ ನಾಯಕರು; ವಾಸುದೇವನ ಇಚ್ಛೆಗೆ ಅಧೀನವಾಗಿ ನಡೆಯುವವರು.

Word by Word

विराटद्रुपदौVirata and Drupada

चand

एवindeed/just

कृतवैरौhaving enmity (made enemies)

मयाby me/with me

सहwith

तौthose two

चand

सेनाप्रणेतारौleaders/commanders of the army

वासुदेववशानुगौfollowing/obedient to Vasudeva's will (Krishna's command)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Virāṭa

Drupada

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Pāṇḍavas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how political and military alignments are shaped by prior enmities and by chosen allegiance: leaders who command armies may still be guided by a higher authority (here, Vāsudeva), implying that strategy and loyalty can outweigh personal autonomy in moments of dharmic crisis.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a statement emphasizing that Virāṭa and Drupada stand opposed to the speaker and that they are not merely allies of the Pāṇḍavas but active military directors who follow Kṛṣṇa’s direction—underscoring the consolidation of the Pāṇḍava coalition before the great war.