Shloka 42

अध्याय ८ — शल्यस्य सत्कारः, वरदानं, पाण्डवसमागमश्च (Śalya’s Reception, the Boon, and Meeting the Pāṇḍavas)

Devanagari script

ममत्ववेक्षया वीर शृणु विज्ञापयामि ते । भवानिह च सारथ्ये वासुदेवसमो युधि,परंतु पृथ्वीपते! आपका कल्याण हो। मैं आपके द्वारा अपना भी एक काम कराना चाहता हूँ। साधु शिरोमणे! वह न करने योग्य होनेपर भी मेरी ओर देखते हुए आपको अवश्य करना चाहिये। वीरवर! सुनिये; मैं वह कार्य आपको बता रहा हूँ। महाराज! आप इस भूतलपर संग्राममें सारथिका काम करनेके लिये वसुदेवनन्दन भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णके समान माने ये हैं

Transliteration

mamatvavekṣayā vīra śṛṇu vijñāpayāmi te | bhavāniha ca sārathye vāsudevasamo yudhi ||

Translation

یُدھِشٹھِر نے کہا—اے بہادر! میری خاطر سنو؛ میں تم سے عرض کرتا ہوں۔ اس جنگ میں رتھ ہانکنے کے فن میں تمہیں واسودیو (شری کرشن) کے برابر مانا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

ममत्वby (a sense of) mine-ness, possessiveness

अवेक्षयाwith regard to, in consideration of

वीरO hero

शृणुhear, listen

विज्ञापयामिI inform, I submit (to you)

तेto you

भवान्your honour, you

इहhere

चand

सारथ्येin charioteering, in the role of charioteer

वासुदेवwith/like Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

समःequal, comparable

युधिin battle

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights respectful petition and recognition of merit: a king frames his request with humility and personal regard, while affirming that true competence in war-support roles (like charioteering) is ethically significant and worthy of honor—so much so that it can be compared to Kṛṣṇa’s exemplary standard.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a heroic figure and begins to state a request. He prefaces it by praising the addressee’s battlefield charioteering skill, saying that in this capacity the person is considered equal to Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa).