Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अत-#--#क्रञ (सैन्यनिर्याणपर्व) एकपज्चाशदधिकशततमो< ध्याय: पाण्डवपक्षके है 2000 05208 2 नाव तथा पाण्डव-सेनाका कुरुक्षेत्रमें प्रवेश वैशम्पायन उवाच जनार्दनवच: श्रुत्वा धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर: । भ्रातृनुवाच धर्मात्मा समक्षं केशवस्य ह,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णकी यह बात सुनकर धर्ममें ही मन लगाये रखनेवाले धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरने भगवानके सामने ही अपने भाइयोंसे कहा --

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: Janārdana-vacaḥ śrutvā dharmarājo Yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | bhrātṝn uvāca dharmātmā samakṣaṃ Keśavasya ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను—జనమేజయా! జనార్దనుడు (శ్రీకృష్ణుడు) చెప్పిన మాటలు విని, ధర్మనిష్ఠుడైన ధర్మరాజు యుధిష్ఠిరుడు కేశవుని సమక్షంలోనే తన సోదరులతో ఇలా అన్నాడు—

Word by Word

जनार्दनवचःthe words of Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

धर्मराजःKing Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira)

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

भ्रातॄन्brothers

उवाचsaid/spoke

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled

समक्षम्in the presence (of)

केशवस्यof Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

हindeed/for emphasis

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)

Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Yudhiṣṭhira

Pāṇḍava brothers

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Righteous leadership begins with attentive listening to wise counsel and then speaking responsibly. Yudhiṣṭhira’s epithet dharmātmā highlights that decisions about conflict must be framed through dharma, and his speaking in Kṛṣṇa’s presence underscores moral accountability.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing Kṛṣṇa’s words, Yudhiṣṭhira turns to address his brothers. This verse functions as a transition: it sets the stage for Yudhiṣṭhira’s instructions or reflections as the Pāṇḍavas move toward the decisive events leading to battle.