Shloka 31

Jarāsandha as Obstacle to the Rājasūya — Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Genealogical Brief

Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 13

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तास्तु ते तेन राज्ञा राजीवलोचन । इदमूचुर्वच: काले धर्मराजं॑ युधिष्ठिरम्‌,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--कमलनयन जनमेजय! राजाके इस प्रकार पूछनेपर वे सब लोग उस समय धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरसे यों बोले--

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | evam uktās tu te tena rājñā rājīvalocana | idam ūcur vacaḥ kāle dharmarājaṁ yudhiṣṭhiram ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: O haring may matang gaya ng lotus, nang masambit na ng pinunong iyon ang gayong tanong, sila ay nagsalita noon din ng mga salitang ito kay Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

उक्ताःhaving been addressed/asked

तुbut/indeed

तेthey

तेनby him

राज्ञाby the king

राजीव-लोचनO lotus-eyed one

इदम्this

ऊचुःsaid

वचःspeech/words

कालेat the time

धर्म-राजम्Dharmarāja

युधिष्ठिरम्Yudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja)

the king (rājā; contextually the one who questioned/asked)

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?

The verse functions as a narrative hinge: speech and counsel are presented as time-bound and duty-oriented, directed to Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira, highlighting that righteous governance depends on timely, ethically framed deliberation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates to King Janamejaya that, after being questioned by a king, a group of people respond by addressing Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira with specific words—introducing the next segment of dialogue/advice.