Shloka 3

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 126 — Kṛṣṇa’s Indictment of Misrule and the Varuṇa Analogy (कृष्णवाक्यं–धर्मपाशदृष्टान्तः)

Devanagari script

भक्तिवादेन पार्थानामकस्मान्म धुसूदन । भवान्‌ गर्हयते नित्यं कि समीक्ष्य बलाबलम्‌,“मधुसूदन! आप पाण्डवोंके प्रेमकी दुहाई देकर जो अकारण ही सदा हमारी निन्दा करते रहते हैं, इसका क्या कारण है? क्या आप हमलोगोंके बलाबलका विचार करके ऐसा करते हैं?

Transliteration

bhaktivādena pārthānām akasmān madhusūdana | bhavān garhayate nityaṁ kiṁ samīkṣya balābalam ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“噢，摩杜苏达那！你以般度五子对你的敬爱与忠诚为由，为什么无缘无故地不断责难我们？难道是你权衡了我们的强弱之后，才决定如此说话吗？”

Word by Word

• भक्तिवादेन: by (the) plea/argument of devotion (i.e., invoking affection)
• भक्तिवादेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्तिवाद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पार्थानाम्: of the sons of Pṛthā (the Pāṇḍavas)
• पार्थानाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अकस्मात्: suddenly; without cause
• अकस्मात्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अकस्मात्

• मधुसूदन: O Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)
• मधुसूदन: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुसूदन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भवान्: you
• भवान्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गर्हयते: (you) censure/blame
• Type: Verb
• Root: गर्ह्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• समीक्ष्य: having considered/examined
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-ईक्ष्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Active

• बलाबलम्: strength and weakness (relative power)
• बलाबलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलाबल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)
• Pārthas (Pāṇḍavas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical scrutiny of rhetoric in conflict: invoking devotion or loyalty can be used as a pretext for blame, and opponents may suspect that moral language masks strategic calculation about relative strength. It invites reflection on whether speech is guided by dharma or by power-politics.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the tense pre-war setting of the Udyoga Parva, the speaker addresses Kṛṣṇa (Madhusūdana), questioning why he repeatedly criticizes ‘us’ while citing the Pandavas’ devotion, and whether this stance is based on an assessment of comparative strength and weakness.