Shloka 56

Kṛṣṇa-vīrya-kathana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s appraisal of Vāsudeva’s deeds

Devanagari script

भ्रातर: पञज्च कैकेया धार्मिका: सत्यविक्रमा: । इन्द्रगोपकसंकाशा रक्तवर्मायुधध्वजा:,केकय देशके सत्यपराक्रमी, धर्मात्मा पाँच वीर राजकुमार लाल रंगके कवच, आयुध और ध्वज धारण करनेवाले हैं तथा उनके शरीरकी कान्ति भी इन्द्रगोपके समान लाल रंगकी ही है; वे पाण्डवोंकी मौसीके बेटे हैं। वे जब पाण्डवोंकी विजयके लिये द्रोणाचार्यको मारनेके लिये उनपर चढ़ आये, उस समय किन वीरोंने उन्हें रोका था?

Transliteration

bhrātaraḥ pañca kaikeyā dhārmikāḥ satyavikramāḥ | indragopaka-saṅkāśā raktavarmāyudha-dhvajāḥ ||

Translation

वैशम्पायन उवाच— कैकेयदेशे भ्रातरः पञ्च धार्मिका सत्यविक्रमाः। इन्द्रगोपकसंकाशा रक्तवर्मायुधध्वजाः॥ ते पाण्डवानां मातृष्वसुः सुताः शूरा द्रोणं हन्तुं जयार्थं समभिद्रुताः; तान् के वीराः पर्यवारयन्?

Word by Word

भ्रातरःbrothers

पञ्चfive

कैकेयाःKaikeyas (princes of Kekaya)

धार्मिकाःrighteous

सत्यविक्रमाःof true valor

इन्द्रगोपकसंकाशाःresembling indragopa insects (bright red)

रक्तवर्मायुधध्वजाःhaving red armor, weapons, and banners

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kekaya (Kaikeya) country

five Kekaya brothers/princes

Droṇācārya

Pāṇḍavas

indragopa (red insect; simile)

red armor (rakta-varma)

weapons (āyudha)

banners/standards (dhvaja)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames martial action within dharma: even in war, valor is praised when grounded in righteousness and truthfulness (dhārmikāḥ, satyavikramāḥ). It also highlights how kinship duties and alliances motivate battlefield choices, showing the ethical complexity of fighting for a relative’s cause.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes five righteous Kekaya princes—recognizable by their crimson, indragopa-like radiance and red war-gear—who rush to attack Droṇa to secure the Pāṇḍavas’ victory. The verse ends as a prompt: it asks which warriors opposed and restrained these advancing Kekaya heroes.