Shloka 16

उद्योगपर्व (अध्याय १२९) — केशवस्य वैभवप्रदर्शनम् / Krishna’s Theophanic Display in the Kuru Assembly

Devanagari script

इमं हि पुण्डरीकाक्षं जिघृक्षन्त्यल्पचेतस:

Transliteration

imaṃ hi puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ jighṛkṣanty alpacetasaḥ

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang cetek akal ini sedang berhasrat merampas Yang Bermata Teratai ini—suatu perbuatan lahir daripada kebodohan, kerana mereka gagal memahami martabatnya yang sebenar serta bahaya moral yang berat akibat pencerobohan sedemikian.”

Word by Word

इमम्this (one)

हिindeed/for

पुण्डरीकाक्षम्the lotus-eyed one

जिघृक्षन्तिwish to seize/are trying to seize

अल्पचेतसःthe small-minded/weak-witted (people)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Puṇḍarīkākṣa (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu)

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?

Moral blindness and arrogance lead people to attempt the unthinkable—harm against the righteous or the divinely protected. The verse highlights how limited understanding (alpacetasaḥ) drives unethical aggression and invites disastrous consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana comments that certain foolish persons are plotting to seize the “Lotus-eyed” Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu-like figure. The line frames their intention as a sign of ignorance, foreshadowing the danger of provoking a power they do not comprehend.