Shloka 11

Śiśupāla’s Protest Against the Arghya to Kṛṣṇa (शिशुपाल-आक्षेपः)

Devanagari script

पौण्ड्को वासुदेवश्व वड्भः कालिड्रकस्तथा । आकर्षा: कुन्तलाश्वैव मालवाश्चान्ध्रकास्तथा

Transliteration

pauṇḍrako vāsudevaś ca vaḍbhaḥ kālindrakas tathā | ākarṣāḥ kuntalāś caiva mālavāś cāndhrakās tathā ||

Translation

അവിടെ പൗണ്ഡ്രക വാസുദേവനും, വഡ്ഭരും, കാലിന്ദ്രകരും, ആകർഷരും, കുന്തലരും, മാലവരും, ആന്ധ്രകരും കൂടി സന്നിഹിതരായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

पौण्ड्रकःPauṇḍraka (a king/person named Pauṇḍraka)

वासुदेवःVāsudeva

चand

वड्भःVaḍbha (proper name/tribal name)

कालिन्द्रकःKālindraka (proper name/tribal name)

तथाlikewise/also

आकर्षाःĀkarṣas (a people/tribe)

कुन्तलाःKuntalas (a people/region)

चand

एवindeed/also

मालवाःMālavas (a people/tribe)

चand

आन्ध्रकाःĀndhrakas (a people/tribe)

तथाlikewise/also

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pauṇḍraka Vāsudeva

Vaḍbhas

Kālindrakas

Ākarṣas

Kuntalas

Mālavas

Āndhrakas

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?

By enumerating many peoples and regions, the text highlights how large-scale political actions are never isolated: many communities become implicated in the ethical consequences of courtly decisions, alliances, and ambitions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is listing various rulers/peoples present or involved in the broader political scene of the Sabha Parva episode, emphasizing the wide geographic reach of the gathering and its influence.