Shloka 23

Devanagari script

वासुदेवपुरोगास्तं सर्व एवाभ्यवादयन्‌ | विराटद्रुपदौ वृद्धावभिवाद्य हलायुध:

Transliteration

vāsudevapurogāstaṃ sarva evābhyavadayan | virāṭadrupadau vṛddhāvabhivādya halāyudhaḥ ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: во главе с Васудевой (Кришной) все они принесли ему почтительные приветствия. Затем Халаюдха (Баларама), воздав почести престарелым царям Вираṭе и Друпаде, продолжил путь с должным благоприличием. Эта сцена подчёркивает нравственный закон: чтить старших и союзников даже под нарастающим давлением близкого столкновения.

Word by Word

• वासुदेवपुरोगाः: having Vāsudeva in front (led by Vāsudeva)
• वासुदेवपुरोगाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासुदेव-पुरोग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अभ्यवादयन्: saluted/greeted
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + वद्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• विराटद्रुपदौ: Virāṭa and Drupada
• विराटद्रुपदौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराट- द्रुपद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• वृद्धौ: the two elders
• वृद्धौ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• अभिवाद्य: having saluted
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + वद्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada

• हलायुधः: he whose weapon is a plough (Balarāma)
• हलायुधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हल-आयुध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Halāyudha (Balarāma)
• Virāṭa
• Drupada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in politically charged moments, dharma is maintained through proper conduct—showing reverence to elders and honoring allied kings; etiquette becomes an ethical discipline that preserves social order.

What is happening in the narrative?

A group led by Vāsudeva offers salutations; Balarāma (Halāyudha) specifically pays respects to the senior kings Virāṭa and Drupada, marking formal courtesies among allies as events move toward the great war.