Mahabharata 3.120.4 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 120, Shloka 4

Sātyaki’s Call for Intervention and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Vow-Bound Restraint (सात्यकिवाक्यं—धर्मराजस्य धैर्यनिश्चयः)

Devanagari script

कस्मादिमौ रामजनार्दनौ च प्रद्युम्नसाम्बी च मया समेतौ । वसन्त्यरण्ये सहसोदरीयै- स्त्रैलोक्पनाथानभिगम्य पार्था:

Transliteration

kasmād imau rāmajanārdanau ca pradyumnasāmbī ca mayā sametau | vasanty araṇye sahasodarīyais trailokyanāthān abhigamya pārthāḥ ||

Translation

బలరాముడు పలికెను—ఎందుకు రాముడు (బలరాముడు), జనార్దనుడు (శ్రీకృష్ణుడు), అలాగే ప్రద్యుమ్నుడు, సామ్బుడు—ఇవన్నీ నా తోడుగా ఇక్కడ ఉన్నారు; అయినా త్రిలోకనాథులను ఆశ్రయించిన తరువాత కూడా కుంతీపుత్రులైన పార్థులు తమ సహోదరులతో కలిసి అరణ్యంలోనే ఎందుకు నివసిస్తున్నారు?

Word by Word

• कस्मात्: from what cause? why?
• कस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• इमौ: these two
• इमौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• राम: Balarāma
• राम: Karta
• Type: Noun (proper)
• Root: राम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जनार्दनौ: Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa) (as a pair with Rāma in sense)
• जनार्दनौ: Karta
• Type: Noun (proper)
• Root: जनार्दन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रद्युम्न: Pradyumna
• प्रद्युम्न: Karta
• Type: Noun (proper)
• Root: प्रद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• साम्बी: Sāmba (together with Pradyumna as two)
• साम्बी: Karta
• Type: Noun (proper)
• Root: साम्ब
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मया: by me / with me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• समेतौ: having come together; accompanied
• Type: Adjective (past participle)
• Root: सम्-इ (समेत)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• वसन्ति: they dwell
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• अरण्ये: in the forest
• अरण्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• सहसोदरीयैः: with (their) uterine brothers
• सहसोदरीयैः: Karana
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: सहसोदरीय
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• त्रैलोक्यनाथान्: the lords of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यनाथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्यनाथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अभिगम्य: having approached; after meeting
• Type: Verbal indeclinable (gerund)
• Root: अभि-गम्

• पार्थाः: the sons of Pṛthā (the Pāṇḍavas)
• पार्थाः: Karta
• Type: Noun (patronymic)
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

बलदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Baladeva (Balarama)
• Janardana (Krishna)
• Pradyumna
• Samba
• Parthas (sons of Kunti / Pandavas)
• Forest (Araṇya)
• Trailokya (three worlds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension between power and dharma: even with access to mighty protectors, the Pāṇḍavas remain in exile, implying restraint, fidelity to vows/conditions, and the ethical complexity of responding to injustice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Baladeva questions why the Pāṇḍavas still live in the forest with their brothers despite having approached (or being able to approach) the supreme leaders—Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, and their Yādava allies—who could potentially alter their situation.