Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ततः कृष्णं महाबाहुं भ्रातृभ्यां सहितं तदा । रथस्थं मागधा दृष्टवा समपद्यन्त विस्मिता:,तदनन्तर दोनों फुफेरे भाइयोंके साथ रथपर बैठे हुए महाबाहु श्रीकृष्णको देखकर मगधके निवासी बड़े विस्मित हुए

Transliteration

tataḥ kṛṣṇaṃ mahābāhuṃ bhrātṛbhyāṃ sahitaṃ tadā | rathasthaṃ māgadhā dṛṣṭvā samapadyanta vismitāḥ ||

Translation

اس کے بعد، اپنے دونوں چچا زاد بھائیوں کے ساتھ رتھ پر بیٹھے ہوئے مہاباہو شری کرشن کو دیکھ کر اہلِ مگدھ سخت حیران رہ گئے اور دم بخود ٹھٹھک گئے۔

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

कृष्णम्Krishna

महाबाहुम्the mighty-armed

भ्रातृभ्याम्with (his) two brothers/cousins

सहितम्accompanied (by)

तदाat that time

रथस्थम्standing/sitting on the chariot

मागधाःthe Magadhas (people of Magadha)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

समपद्यन्तbecame, came to be

विस्मिताःastonished

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kṛṣṇa

Magadha (people of Magadha)

chariot (ratha)

two cousin-brothers (bhrātṛbhyām)

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 highlights how true power and moral authority can manifest as a presence that commands spontaneous respect and awe; it sets an ethical tone that greatness is recognized not merely by force but by the stature and purpose embodied by a leader.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that the people of Magadha see Kṛṣṇa on his chariot, accompanied by two cousin-brothers, and they become astonished—marking a dramatic moment as Kṛṣṇa’s arrival draws immediate attention and signals an important confrontation or negotiation.