Shloka 25

Devanagari script

किराता यवना राजन्‌ बहवो5सिथनुर्धरा: । म्लेच्छाश्षान्ये बहुविधा: पूर्व ये निकृता रणे,राजन्‌! तलवार और धनुष धारण करनेवाले बहुत-से किरात, यवन और म्लेच्छ, जो पहले महाभारत-युद्धमें पाण्डवोंद्वारा परास्त किये गये थे, अर्जुनका सामना करनेके लिये आये

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: kirātā yavanā rājan bahavo 'sthi-dhanur-dharāḥ | mlecchāś cānye bahuvidhāḥ pūrva ye nikṛtā raṇe ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «О царь, многие кираты и яваны — воины с луками и оружием — вместе с иными племенами млеччхов разных видов, прежде побеждённые в битве, теперь выступили, чтобы встретиться с Арджуной.»

Word by Word

• किराताः: Kirātas (mountain/forest tribesmen)
• किराताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यवनाः: Yavanas (Greeks/foreigners)
• यवनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यवन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• असि-धनुर्धराः: sword- and bow-bearers (armed with sword and bow)
• असि-धनुर्धराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि-धनुर्धर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• म्लेच्छाः: Mlecchas (barbarians/foreign tribes)
• म्लेच्छाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: म्लेच्छ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बहु-विधाः: of many kinds, various
• बहु-विधाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुविध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निकृताः: slain/defeated
• निकृताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-कृ (कृ धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (क्त)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• King (Janamejaya)
• Kirātas
• Yavanas
• Mlecchas
• Arjuna
• bows
• swords/weapons

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the continuing consequences of war: even after a decisive victory, hostility and resistance can re-emerge. It also reflects the epic’s political-ethical realism—kings must remain vigilant, and past enmities may resurface when power is asserted (as in the Ashvamedha context).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports to the king that many groups—Kirātas, Yavanas, and other mlecchas—previously defeated in earlier fighting, assemble again and come to face Arjuna, setting the stage for renewed confrontation during the Ashvamedhika events.