Shloka 57

Kṛṣṇa-vīrya-kathana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s appraisal of Vāsudeva’s deeds

Devanagari script

मातृष्वसु: सुता वीरा: पाण्डवानां जयार्थिन: । तान्‌ द्रोणं हन्तुमायातान्‌ के वीरा: पर्यवारयन्‌,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

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

mātṛṣvasuḥ sutā vīrāḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ jayārthinaḥ |

tān droṇaṃ hantum āyātān ke vīrāḥ paryavārayan ||

Translation

वैशम्पायन उवाच— मातृष्वसुः सुता वीरा पाण्डवानां जयार्थिनः। तान् द्रोणं हन्तुमायातान् के वीराः पर्यवारयन्?

Word by Word

मातृष्वसुःof the maternal aunt

सुताःsons

वीराःheroes/warriors

पाण्डवानाम्of the Pandavas

जयार्थिनःseeking victory

तान्them

द्रोणम्Drona

हन्तुम्to kill

आयातान्having come/approached

केwhich?/who?

वीराःheroes/warriors

पर्यवारयन्warded off/checked/surrounded

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍavas

Droṇa

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 foregrounds how dharma and duty in war are entangled with kinship: even close relatives become instruments in a larger strategic and ethical struggle, where intent (seeking victory) drives action and opposition arises through equally duty-bound warriors.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a group of valiant kinsmen of the Pāṇḍavas—sons of their maternal aunt—advancing with the aim of killing Droṇa to secure Pāṇḍava victory, and he asks which warriors intercepted and restrained them.