Shloka 53

Kṛṣṇasya Dvārakā-praveśaḥ — Krishna’s Return to Dvārakā and the Raivataka Festival

Devanagari script

ते धूमरक्तनयना वल्नलितेजोडभितापिता: । आजममुनिश्चियं ज्ञातुं भार्गवस्य महात्मन:,धुआँ लगनेसे नागोंकी आँखें लाल हो गयी थीं। वे आगकी आँचसे तप रहे थे। महात्मा भार्गव (उत्तंक)-का क्या निश्चय है, यह जाननेके लिये सभी एकत्र होकर उनके पास आये

Transliteration

te dhūma-rakta-nayanā vahni-līḍhābhitāpitāḥ | ājagmur muni-niścayaṃ jñātuṃ bhārgavasya mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

പുകകൊണ്ട് അവരുടെ കണ്ണുകൾ ചുവന്നു; നക്കിയോടുന്ന അഗ്നിജ്വാലകളുടെ ചൂടിൽ അവർ വെന്തുപൊള്ളുകയായിരുന്നു. മഹാത്മാവായ ഭാർഗവന്റെ നിശ്ചയം എന്തെന്നറിയാൻ അവർ എല്ലാവരും ഒന്നിച്ചു അദ്ദേഹത്തിങ്കലേക്ക് ചെന്നു.

Word by Word

तेthey (those)

धूम-रक्त-नयनाःhaving smoke-reddened eyes

वह्नि-लित-तेजःthe fire's heat/energy (blazing heat)

उद्भि-तापिताःscorched / heated up

आगमम्approach/coming (arrival)

मुनयःsages

निश्चयम्decision/resolve

ज्ञातुम्to know

भार्गवस्यof Bhārgava (descendant of Bhṛgu)

महात्मनःof the great-souled one

Speaker

अश्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

Aśva (the Horse, speaker)

Nāgāḥ (serpents)

Bhārgava (the great sage; identified in context as Uttanka)

Vahni (fire)

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?

Distress and danger prompt a search for wise, settled judgment (niścaya) rather than impulsive reaction; the verse highlights the ethical importance of discerning a righteous course when passions and suffering run high.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Nāgas, afflicted by smoke and fire, gather and go to the great Bhārgava sage to find out what decision he has made—indicating a turning point where his intention will shape what happens to them next.