Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 19

Kṛṣṇasya Dvārakā-praveśaḥ — Krishna’s Return to Dvārakā and the Raivataka Festival

Devanagari script

यथा तयो रक्षणं च मदयन्त्याभिभाषितम्‌ । तथा ते कुण्डले बद्ध्वा तदा कृष्णाजिनेडनयत्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | yathā tayo rakṣaṇaṃ ca madayantyābhibhāṣitam | tathā te kuṇḍale baddhvā tadā kṛṣṇājinena nayat |

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: “Gaya ng itinuro ni Madayantī kung paano iingatan ang mga palamuting iyon, gayon nila itinali ang magkaparis na kuṇḍala at dinala itong nakabalot sa balat ng itim na antilope.”

Word by Word

• यथा: as, just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: any, Genitive, Dual

• रक्षणम्: protection, guarding
• रक्षणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

• मदयन्त्या: by (queen) Madayantī
• मदयन्त्या: Karana
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: मदयन्ती
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• अभिभाषितम्: spoken, prescribed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-भाष्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• तथा: so, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• ते: them
• ते: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: any, Accusative, Plural

• कुण्डले: the two earrings
• कुण्डले: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative/Nominative, Dual

• बद्ध्वा: having bound/tied
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• कृष्णाजिनेन: with/in a black antelope-skin
• कृष्णाजिनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णाजिन
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अनयत्: led, carried away
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Madayantī
• kuṇḍala (ear-ornaments)
• kṛṣṇājina (black antelope-skin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights fidelity to prescribed guidance and careful stewardship of entrusted valuables—an ethical emphasis on responsibility (rakṣaṇa) and adherence to proper procedure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Following Madayantī’s instructions for safeguarding the pair of kuṇḍalas, they are tied up and transported wrapped in a black antelope-skin, indicating deliberate protection during conveyance.