Mahabharata — Vana Parva, Shloka 17

Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ

Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit

Devanagari script

दैत्यरक्षोगणाश्वैव सम्भूता: क्षत्रयोनिषु

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | daityarakṣogaṇāś caiva sambhūtāḥ kṣatrayoniṣu | prahariṣyanti te vīrās tavāriṣu mahābalāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Raja, bala Daitya dan Rākṣasa telah lahir dalam keturunan Kṣatriya. Para pahlawan perkasa itu akan menghentam musuh-musuh tuanku dengan kekuatan yang dahsyat.” Kata-kata ini membingkai perang yang bakal tiba sebagai medan di mana kuasa bukan manusia mengambil kelahiran manusia dan turun ke gelanggang, menambah beratnya pertimbangan dharma serta bahaya yang menanti pihak musuh raja.

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'daitya': 'a Daitya (demonic/anti-god lineage, often opposed to the Devas)', 'rakṣas / rākṣasa': 'a Rākṣasa (demon/ogre-like being

• often fierce warriors)', 'gaṇa': 'group, host, troop', 'caiva': 'and indeed, and also', 'sambhūtaḥ': 'born, arisen, come into existence', 'kṣatra-yoniṣu': 'in Kṣatriya wombs/lineages

• among warrior castes', 'prahariṣyanti': 'they will strike, attack, smite', 'te vīrāḥ': 'those heroes/warriors', 'tava': 'your', 'ariṣu': 'among/against enemies', 'mahābalāḥ': 'very powerful, of great strength'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Daityas
• Rākṣasas
• Kṣatriya lineages
• the King (addressed as rājān)
• enemies (ari)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how overwhelming forces—symbolized by Daityas and Rākṣasas taking birth among Kṣatriyas—can enter human affairs, making conflict more dangerous and ethically charged. It cautions that war is not merely a human contest of arms but can become a convergence of larger powers, demanding vigilance, restraint, and clarity about righteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses a king and foretells (or explains) that powerful Daitya and Rākṣasa hosts have been born in Kṣatriya families and will attack the king’s enemies. The line functions as a narrative intensifier, announcing formidable allies/warriors who will fight with great strength against the opposing side.