Shloka 22
Dvārakāyāṃ Sāhāyya-vibhāgaḥ (Alliance Allocation at Dvārakā) / उद्योगपर्व अध्याय ७
नारायणममित्रघ्नं कामाज्जातमजं नृषु । सर्वक्षत्रस्थ पुरतो देवदानवयोरपि,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्! श्रीकृष्णके ऐसा कहनेपर कुन्तीकुमार धनंजयने संग्रामभूमिमें युद्ध न करनेवाले उन भगवान् श्रीकृष्णको ही (अपना सहायक) चुना, जो साक्षात् शत्रुहन्ता नारायण हैं और अजन्मा होते हुए भी स्वेच्छासे देवता, दानव तथा समस्त क्षत्रियोंके सम्मुख मनुष्योंमें अवतीर्ण हुए हैं
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
nārāyaṇam amitraghnaṁ kāmāj jātaṁ ajaṁ nṛṣu |
sarvakṣatrastha purato devadānavayor api ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Wahai Raja, setelah Kṛṣṇa berkata demikian, Dhanañjaya, putera Kuntī, memilih sebagai sandarannya Tuhan Kṛṣṇa itu sendiri—Nārāyaṇa, pembinasa musuh—yang walaupun tidak dilahirkan, namun atas kehendaknya sendiri menzahirkan diri di kalangan manusia, di hadapan para dewa, para asura, dan seluruh golongan kṣatriya.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Kṛṣṇa as Nārāyaṇa—unborn yet freely manifesting among humans—highlighting that divine participation in worldly conflict can be voluntary and purposeful. Ethically, it underscores Arjuna’s choice of guidance and presence over mere military force, valuing dharmic counsel and divine alignment in a crisis.
In the lead-up to war, after Kṛṣṇa’s statement (about the options available), Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) chooses Kṛṣṇa himself as his support rather than the fighting army. The narrator emphasizes Kṛṣṇa’s supreme identity as Nārāyaṇa, witnessed by gods, demons, and the assembled warrior class.