Shloka 18

उत्पातदर्शनम् — Portents and Kāla among the Vṛṣṇis

Devanagari script

कः क्षत्रियो5हन्यमान: सुप्तान्‌ हन्यान्मृतानिव । तन्न मृष्यन्ति हार्दिक्य यादवा यत्‌ त्वया कृतम्‌

Transliteration

kaḥ kṣatriyo ’hanyamānaḥ suptān hanyān mṛtān iva | tan na mṛṣyanti hārdikya yādavā yat tvayā kṛtam ||

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ— “ହେ ହାର୍ଦ୍ଦିକ୍ୟ! ଆକ୍ରମଣ ହେଉଥିବାବେଳେ କେଉଁ କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟ ଶୁଇଥିବା ଲୋକମାନଙ୍କୁ—ମୃତମାନଙ୍କ ପରି—ବଧ କରିବ? ତୁମେ ଯାହା କରିଛ, ତାହା ଯାଦବମାନେ ସହିବେ ନାହିଁ।”

Word by Word

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रियः: a warrior (kshatriya)
• क्षत्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहन्यमानः: being struck / being killed
• अहन्यमानः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: शानच् (present passive participle), Passive, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुप्तान्: sleeping (ones)
• सुप्तान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हन्यात्: should kill / would kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Present-system, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मृतान्: dead (ones)
• मृतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• इव: as if / like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• तत्: that (act)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• मृष्यन्ति: they tolerate / they forgive
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृष्
• Form: Lat (Present), Present, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• हार्दिक्य: O Hārdikya (descendant of Hṛdika)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हार्दिक्य
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यादवाः: the Yādavas
• यादवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यादव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यत्: which (deed)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Instrumental, Singular

• कृतम्: done / committed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Hārdikya (Kṛtavarman)
• Yādavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in warfare, kṣatriya conduct is constrained by dharma: killing the sleeping is portrayed as adharma—an act akin to murdering the already dead—inviting moral outrage and retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana censures Hārdikya (Kṛtavarman) for a deed described as killing sleeping men; the Yādavas are said to be unable to tolerate this act, foreshadowing escalating conflict and vengeance.