Shloka 56

Kṛṣṇa-vīrya-kathana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s appraisal of Vāsudeva’s deeds

Devanagari script

भ्रातर: पञज्च कैकेया धार्मिका: सत्यविक्रमा: । इन्द्रगोपकसंकाशा रक्तवर्मायुधध्वजा:,केकय देशके सत्यपराक्रमी, धर्मात्मा पाँच वीर राजकुमार लाल रंगके कवच, आयुध और ध्वज धारण करनेवाले हैं तथा उनके शरीरकी कान्ति भी इन्द्रगोपके समान लाल रंगकी ही है; वे पाण्डवोंकी मौसीके बेटे हैं। वे जब पाण्डवोंकी विजयके लिये द्रोणाचार्यको मारनेके लिये उनपर चढ़ आये, उस समय किन वीरोंने उन्हें रोका था?

Transliteration

bhrātaraḥ pañca kaikeyā dhārmikāḥ satyavikramāḥ | indragopaka-saṅkāśā raktavarmāyudha-dhvajāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Di negeri Kekaya ada lima bersaudara—berpegang pada dharma dan benar dalam keberanian. Kilau mereka merah seperti serangga indragopa, dan mereka membawa zirah, senjata, serta panji-panji merah. Para putera raja yang gagah itu, anak kepada saudara perempuan ibu pihak Pāṇḍava, mara untuk membunuh Droṇācārya demi kemenangan Pāṇḍava. Pada saat itu, pahlawan manakah yang menahan mereka?”

Word by Word

भ्रातरःbrothers

पञ्चfive

कैकेयाःKaikeyas (princes of Kekaya)

धार्मिकाःrighteous

सत्यविक्रमाःof true valor

इन्द्रगोपकसंकाशाःresembling indragopa insects (bright red)

रक्तवर्मायुधध्वजाःhaving red armor, weapons, and banners

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kekaya (Kaikeya) country

five Kekaya brothers/princes

Droṇācārya

Pāṇḍavas

indragopa (red insect; simile)

red armor (rakta-varma)

weapons (āyudha)

banners/standards (dhvaja)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames martial action within dharma: even in war, valor is praised when grounded in righteousness and truthfulness (dhārmikāḥ, satyavikramāḥ). It also highlights how kinship duties and alliances motivate battlefield choices, showing the ethical complexity of fighting for a relative’s cause.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes five righteous Kekaya princes—recognizable by their crimson, indragopa-like radiance and red war-gear—who rush to attack Droṇa to secure the Pāṇḍavas’ victory. The verse ends as a prompt: it asks which warriors opposed and restrained these advancing Kekaya heroes.