Shloka 23

Subhadrā’s Petition to Kṛṣṇa for the Revival of Parīkṣit (अभिमन्युज-प्राणरक्षा-प्रार्थना)

Devanagari script

अब्रवीत्‌ किल दाशार्ह वैराटीमार्जुनिस्तदा । मातुलस्य कुल भद्रे तव पुत्रो गमिष्यति

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | abravīt kila dāśārha vairāṭīm arjunis tadā | mātulasya kula-bhadre tava putro gamiṣyati ||

Translation

وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا— “اے داشارھ! اُس وقت ارجُنی (ابھمنیو) نے وِراٹ کی راجکماری سے محبت بھرے یقین کے ساتھ کہا— ‘اے بھدرے! تمہارا بیٹا میرے ماموں کے کُل میں جائے گا۔’”

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'abravīt': 'said, spoke', 'kila': 'indeed

• it is said/traditionally reported', 'dāśārha': 'O Dāśārha

• an epithet associated with the Vṛṣṇi line (addressing one connected with that clan)', 'vairāṭīm': 'the Virāṭa princess (Uttarā), daughter of King Virāṭa', 'arjunis': 'Arjuni

• descendant of Arjuna (here, Abhimanyu)', 'tadā': 'then, at that time', 'mātulasya': 'of the maternal uncle', 'kula-bhadre': 'O well-born/noble lady

• one who brings honor to her family', 'tava': 'your', 'putraḥ': 'son', 'gamiṣyati': 'will go'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Abhimanyu (Arjuni)
• Uttarā (Vairāṭī)
• maternal uncle (mātula)
• Vṛṣṇi clan
• Andhaka clan
• dhanurveda (archery/weapon-science)
• astra-śastra (missiles and weapons)
• nītiśāstra (statecraft/ethics of governance)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic ideal of responsible upbringing: an heir should be formed through disciplined education—martial skill (dhanurveda), mastery of weapons (astra-śastra), and ethical-political wisdom (nītiśāstra)—so power is guided by righteousness rather than impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a remembered statement: Abhimanyu once reassured Uttarā that her future son would be sent to his maternal-uncle’s household—among the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas—for proper training and refinement, indicating careful planning for the child’s protection and formation after the devastation of war.