Shloka 14

Jarāsandha–Vāsudeva Saṃvāda: Kṣātra-Dharma, Pride, and the Ethics of Coercion

Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 20

Devanagari script

न शौरिणा विना पार्थो न शौरि: पाण्डवं विना । नाजेयो<स्त्यनयोलोंके कृष्णयोरिति मे मति:

Transliteration

na śauriṇā vinā pārtho na śauriḥ pāṇḍavaṃ vinā | nājeyo 'sty anayor loke kṛṣṇayor iti me matiḥ ||

Translation

ਯੁਧਿਸ਼ਠਿਰ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਸ਼ੌਰੀ ਤੋਂ ਬਿਨਾ ਪਾਰਥ ਅਧੂਰਾ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਪਾਂਡਵ ਤੋਂ ਬਿਨਾ ਸ਼ੌਰੀ ਵੀ ਅਧੂਰਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਲੋਕ ਵਿੱਚ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੋਹਾਂ ‘ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨਾਂ’ ਨੂੰ ਹਰਾਉਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਕੋਈ ਨਹੀਂ—ਇਹ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਤ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

नnot

शौरिणाby/with Śauri (Kṛṣṇa)

विनाwithout

पार्थःPārtha (Arjuna)

नnot

शौरिःŚauri (Kṛṣṇa)

पाण्डवम्the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)

विनाwithout

नnot

अजेयःunconquerable

अस्तिis/exists

अनयोःof these two

लोकेin the world

कृष्णयोःof the two Kṛṣṇas (Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna)

इतिthus

मेmy

मतिःopinion/thought

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Śauri (Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva)

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)

the two Kṛṣṇas (Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the power of righteous partnership: Arjuna’s prowess and Kṛṣṇa’s guidance are mutually reinforcing, making their combined agency effectively invincible. It also reflects a leader’s ethical discernment—recognizing where strength becomes decisive when aligned with dharma and wise counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira expresses his assessment of the political-military balance: he declares that Kṛṣṇa (Śauri) and Arjuna (Pārtha, also called Kṛṣṇa) are inseparable in effectiveness, and that together they are unconquerable in the world.