Shloka 20
Duryodhana-vadha-pratikriyā: Harṣa, Nindā, and Kṛṣṇa’s Nīti-vyākhyā (Śalya-parva 60)
Devanagari script
वासुदेववच: श्रुत्वा सीरभृत् प्राह धर्मवित्
Transliteration
vāsudevavacaḥ śrutvā sīrabhṛt prāha dharmavit
Translation
वासुदेवाचे वचन ऐकून हलधारी, धर्मज्ञ बलराम तेव्हा उत्तर देऊ लागला—युद्ध व सल्ल्याच्या दडपणातही धर्मविवेक राखून।
Word by Word
वासुदेववचःthe words of Vāsudeva
वासुदेववचः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवासुदेव-वचस्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
श्रुत्वाhaving heard
श्रुत्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)
सीरभृत्the plough-bearer (Balarāma)
सीरभृत्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसीर-भृत्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
प्राहsaid/spoke
प्राह:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-आह् (अह्/ब्रू sense)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
धर्मवित्knower of dharma
धर्मवित्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootधर्म-वित्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaV
Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)S
Sīrabhṛt (Balarāma)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
The verse highlights dharma-guided response: after receiving counsel (Vāsudeva’s words), a dharma-knower speaks, implying that right action in conflict begins with attentive listening and morally informed judgment.
Sañjaya narrates that Balarāma (the plough-bearer) hears Kṛṣṇa’s statement and then speaks, marking a transition from Kṛṣṇa’s counsel to Balarāma’s dharmic reply within the Shalya Parva war context.