Shloka 23
Kirmīra-rākṣasa-saṃgamaḥ (Encounter and Slaying of Kirmīra) | किर्मीरेण सह भीमसेनसमागमः
परायणं देवमूर्धा क्रतुभिर्मधुसूदन । अयजो भूरितेजा वै कृष्ण चैत्ररथे वने,मधुसूदन श्रीकृष्ण! आपने चैत्ररथवनमें अनेक यज्ञोंका अनुष्ठान किया है। आप सबके उत्तम आश्रय, देवशिरोमणि और महातेजस्वी हैं
parāyaṇaṃ devamūrdhā kratubhir madhusūdana | ayajo bhūritejā vai kṛṣṇa caitrarathe vane ||
Arjuna berkata: “Wahai Madhusūdana, Engkaulah perlindungan tertinggi dan yang terunggul di antara para dewa. Di rimba Caitraratha Engkau telah melaksanakan banyak upacara korban suci; wahai Kṛṣṇa, Engkau sungguh berkilau dengan kemuliaan yang melimpah.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches reverential orientation: righteous action is strengthened when one recognizes a higher refuge and moral authority. By praising Kṛṣṇa as the supreme support and as one established in sacrificial merit, Arjuna signals that dharmic conduct is anchored in devotion, humility, and acknowledgment of divine guidance.
Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa directly, praising him with divine epithets and recalling his performance of many sacrifices in the Caitraratha forest. The speech functions as a respectful preface, elevating Kṛṣṇa’s status and setting a devotional tone within the Vana Parva context.