Shloka 23
Kirmīra-rākṣasa-saṃgamaḥ (Encounter and Slaying of Kirmīra) | किर्मीरेण सह भीमसेनसमागमः
परायणं देवमूर्धा क्रतुभिर्मधुसूदन । अयजो भूरितेजा वै कृष्ण चैत्ररथे वने,मधुसूदन श्रीकृष्ण! आपने चैत्ररथवनमें अनेक यज्ञोंका अनुष्ठान किया है। आप सबके उत्तम आश्रय, देवशिरोमणि और महातेजस्वी हैं
parāyaṇaṃ devamūrdhā kratubhir madhusūdana | ayajo bhūritejā vai kṛṣṇa caitrarathe vane ||
Wika ni Arjuna: “O Madhusūdana, ikaw ang sukdulang kanlungan at ang pinakadakila sa mga diyos. Sa gubat ng Caitraratha, nagsagawa ka ng maraming paghahandog na sakripisyo; O Kṛṣṇa, tunay na ikaw ay hitik sa maningning na karangalan.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches reverential orientation: righteous action is strengthened when one recognizes a higher refuge and moral authority. By praising Kṛṣṇa as the supreme support and as one established in sacrificial merit, Arjuna signals that dharmic conduct is anchored in devotion, humility, and acknowledgment of divine guidance.
Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa directly, praising him with divine epithets and recalling his performance of many sacrifices in the Caitraratha forest. The speech functions as a respectful preface, elevating Kṛṣṇa’s status and setting a devotional tone within the Vana Parva context.