Shloka 24

Vyāsa’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira: Pratismṛti-vidyā, Arjuna’s Aśtra-Quest, and the Move to Kāmyaka

Devanagari script

कृष्णोवाच यत्‌ ते कुन्ती महाबाहो जातस्यैच्छद्‌ धनंजय

Transliteration

kṛṣṇo vāca yat te kuntī mahābāho jātasyaicchad dhanaṃjaya

Translation

కృష్ణుడు పలికెను— “హే మహాబాహు ధనంజయా, నీవు జన్మించినప్పుడు కుంతి నీ కొరకు ఏది కోరిందో…”

Word by Word

• कृष्णः: Krishna
• कृष्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यत्: which/that (thing)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• कुन्ती: O Kunti
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुन्ती
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• जातस्य: of the born one / of him who was born
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• ऐच्छत्: desired / wished
• ऐच्छत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Imperfect (Anadyatana-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धनंजय: O Dhananjaya (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Kuntī
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line frames a moral-narrative point: a mother’s intention and blessing at a child’s birth is invoked as an ethical reference for the hero’s later conduct—linking personal destiny with dharma and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports Kṛṣṇa beginning a statement addressed to Arjuna (Dhanañjaya), introducing what Kuntī wished for him at his birth—setting up an explanation or reminder about Arjuna’s qualities, purpose, or duty.