Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्‌ प्राणा:समायत्ता: पाण्डवानां ममैव च । पाण्डोश्व पिण्डो दाशार्ह तथैव श्वशुरस्य मे

Transliteration

asmin prāṇāḥ samāyattāḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ mamaiva ca | pāṇḍoś ca piṇḍo dāśārha tathaiva śvaśurasya me ||

Translation

“般度五子与我之性命，尽系于此子。噢，达沙尔诃（弗利什尼族后裔）啊，他亦是我夫般度与我公公家族祖祀血脉延续（piṇḍa）的唯一依凭。”

Word by Word

• अस्मिन्: in this (one)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• प्राणाः: lives, vital breaths
• प्राणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समायत्ताः: dependent (upon), resting on
• समायत्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-यत् (यत्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (क्त)

• पाण्डवानाम्: of the Pandavas
• पाण्डवानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पाण्डोः: of Pandu
• पाण्डोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पिण्डः: funeral offering (rice-ball), oblation
• पिण्डः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दाशार्ह: O Dasharha (descendant of the Dasharhas)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाशार्ह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तथा: so, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• श्वशुरस्य: of (my) father-in-law
• श्वशुरस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वशुर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• मे: of me, my
• मे: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍavas
• Pāṇḍu
• Dāśārha (epithet of Kṛṣṇa/Vṛṣṇi)
• Śvaśura (father-in-law; contextually Vicitravīrya in the given line)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores dharma as responsibility to preserve life and lineage: a single rightful heir can become the pivot for a family’s survival, social order, and the continuation of ancestral rites (piṇḍa).

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker emphasizes that the fate of the Pāṇḍavas and the continuation of Pāṇḍu’s (and the elder line’s) ancestral obligations depend upon a particular child, addressing Kṛṣṇa as Dāśārha to stress urgency and protection.