Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

एते चान्ये च बहवो राजानो मध्यदेशजा:

Transliteration

ete cānye ca bahavo rājāno madhyadeśajāḥ

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇവരും, മധ്യദേശത്തിൽ ജനിച്ച മറ്റു അനേകം രാജാക്കളും (അവിടെ) സമവേതരായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• एते: these
• एते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मध्यदेशजाः: born in the Middle Country (Madhyadeśa)
• मध्यदेशजाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यदेशज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• madhyadeśa (Middle Country)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the scale of royal participation: many rulers from the central heartland are implicated as witnesses or participants. Ethically, it points to how public events in a court or assembly carry shared accountability—silence or consent by influential leaders can shape the moral outcome.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues a catalogue-style description, indicating that not only the previously named figures but also many other kings from Madhyadeśa were present/assembled, emphasizing the grandeur and political significance of the gathering.