Shloka 23

Subhadrā’s Petition to Kṛṣṇa for the Revival of Parīkṣit (अभिमन्युज-प्राणरक्षा-प्रार्थना)

Devanagari script

अब्रवीत्‌ किल दाशार्ह वैराटीमार्जुनिस्तदा । मातुलस्य कुल भद्रे तव पुत्रो गमिष्यति

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | abravīt kila dāśārha vairāṭīm arjunis tadā | mātulasya kula-bhadre tava putro gamiṣyati ||

Translation

வைசம்பாயனர் கூறினார்— “தாசார்ஹனே! அப்போது அர்ஜுனியின் மகன் அபிமன்யு, விராடரின் மகளிடம் அன்புடன் கூறினான்— ‘குலமங்கையே! உன் மகன் என் மாமனின் குலத்திற்குச் செல்வான்.’”

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'abravīt': 'said, spoke', 'kila': 'indeed

• it is said/traditionally reported', 'dāśārha': 'O Dāśārha

• an epithet associated with the Vṛṣṇi line (addressing one connected with that clan)', 'vairāṭīm': 'the Virāṭa princess (Uttarā), daughter of King Virāṭa', 'arjunis': 'Arjuni

• descendant of Arjuna (here, Abhimanyu)', 'tadā': 'then, at that time', 'mātulasya': 'of the maternal uncle', 'kula-bhadre': 'O well-born/noble lady

• one who brings honor to her family', 'tava': 'your', 'putraḥ': 'son', 'gamiṣyati': 'will go'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Abhimanyu (Arjuni)
• Uttarā (Vairāṭī)
• maternal uncle (mātula)
• Vṛṣṇi clan
• Andhaka clan
• dhanurveda (archery/weapon-science)
• astra-śastra (missiles and weapons)
• nītiśāstra (statecraft/ethics of governance)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic ideal of responsible upbringing: an heir should be formed through disciplined education—martial skill (dhanurveda), mastery of weapons (astra-śastra), and ethical-political wisdom (nītiśāstra)—so power is guided by righteousness rather than impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a remembered statement: Abhimanyu once reassured Uttarā that her future son would be sent to his maternal-uncle’s household—among the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas—for proper training and refinement, indicating careful planning for the child’s protection and formation after the devastation of war.