Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 11

Dyūta-doṣa-prakāśana — Kṛṣṇa’s Critique of Gambling and the Exile Crisis

क्वासौ क्वासाविति पुनस्तत्र तत्र प्रधावति । मया किल रणे योद्धुं काड्क्षमाण: स सौभराट्‌,सौभविमानका स्वामी शाल्व संग्रामभूमिमें मेरे साथ युद्धकी इच्छा रखकर चारों ओर दौड़ता और सबसे यही पूछता था कि “वह कहाँ है, कहाँ है?”

kvāsau kvāsāv iti punas tatra tatra pradhāvati | mayā kila raṇe yoddhuṁ kāṅkṣamāṇaḥ sa saubharāṭ, saubhavimānakā svāmī śālvaḥ saṅgrāmabhūmau me saha yuddhecchayā sarvato dhāvati sma, sarvān pṛcchati ca—“sa kutra? sa kutra?” iti |

അവൻ വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും ഇവിടെ അവിടെ ഓടിക്കൊണ്ട്—“അവൻ എവിടെ, അവൻ എവിടെ?” എന്നു വിളിച്ചുകൂവുകയായിരുന്നു. എന്നോടു യുദ്ധം ചെയ്യാൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ച സൗഭ വിമാനം-നഗരത്തിന്റെ അധിപനായ ശാൽവൻ യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിലുടനീളം ഓടി എല്ലാവരോടും അതേ ചോദ്യം ചോദിച്ചു.

क्वwhere?
क्व:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootक्व
Forminterrogative adverb (place)
असौthat (man), he
असौ:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअसद् (प्रातिपदिक: असौ/असौ-प्रत्ययान्त सर्वनाम)
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
क्वwhere?
क्व:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootक्व
Forminterrogative adverb (place)
असौthat (man), he
असौ:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअसद् (प्रातिपदिक: असौ/असौ-प्रत्ययान्त सर्वनाम)
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
इतिthus (saying)
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
Formquotative particle
पुनःagain
पुनः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः
Formadverb
तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र
Formadverb (place)
तत्रthere (here and there)
तत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र
Formadverb (place)
प्रधावतिruns about, rushes
प्रधावति:
TypeVerb
Rootधाव्
Formpresent (lat), parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Ś
Śrī Kṛṣṇa
Ś
Śālva
S
Saubha (aerial city/vimāna)
R
raṇa/saṅgrāma-bhūmi (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights how pride and fixation on confrontation can drive a person into restless, aggressive pursuit. In the ethical frame of the epic, martial desire without discernment becomes a sign of delusion and overconfidence, even when expressed as heroic challenge.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes Śālva on the battlefield: as the lord of the Saubha aerial city, Śālva darts about searching for Kṛṣṇa, repeatedly calling out “Where is he?” and questioning others, eager to engage Kṛṣṇa in direct combat.