Shloka 19

Adhyāya 45 — Duryodhana’s Distress, Śakuni’s Counsel, and the Summons for Dyūta

Devanagari script

मन्यमानो हि कः सत्सु पुरुष: परिकीर्तयेत्‌ । अन्यपूर्वा स्त्रियं जातु त्ववन्यो मधुसूदन,“मधुसूदन! तुम्हारे सिवा दूसरा कौन ऐसा पुरुष होगा, जो अपनी स्त्रीको पहले दूसरेकी वाग्दत्ता पत्नी स्वीकार करते हुए सत्पुरुषोंकी सभामें इसका वर्णन करेगा?

Transliteration

manyamāno hi kaḥ satsu puruṣaḥ parikīrtayet | anyapūrvāṃ striyaṃ jātu tv anyo madhusūdana ||

Translation

毗湿摩耶那说道：“诚然，在贤德之士面前，哪一个有名节的男子会当众宣称这种事——说自己娶了一个先前已许配他人的女子为妻？噢，摩度苏丹那（Madhusūdana），除你之外还有谁会如此？”

Word by Word

मन्यमानःthinking, considering

हिindeed, for

कःwho?

सत्सुamong the good (people), in the assembly of the virtuous

पुरुषःa man

परिकीर्तयेत्would proclaim, would describe

अन्यपूर्वाम्having another before (i.e., previously belonging/pledged to another)

स्त्रियम्a woman, wife

जातुever, at any time

त्वत्than you, from you

अन्यःanother (person)

मधुसूदनO Madhusūdana (Krishna)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)

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 the ethical restraint expected of an honorable person: matters that could diminish dignity—especially concerning marital propriety and prior betrothal—are not to be publicly advertised before the virtuous. It underscores social dharma around modesty, reputation, and appropriate speech in an assembly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses Kṛṣṇa as Madhusūdana and remarks that no ordinary honorable man would openly state, in a gathering of the righteous, that he accepted a woman who had earlier been promised to someone else—implying that only Kṛṣṇa could speak of such a delicate circumstance without loss of honor, due to his exceptional stature and purpose.