Shloka 116

Devanagari script

ततो<न्वधावद्‌ वार्ष्णेयं सर्वशस्त्रभूतां वर: । वह सम्पूर्ण शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ था। उसने यह प्रतिज्ञा करके कि मैं वृष्णिवंशी श्रीकृष्णको मारे बिना अपने नगरको नहीं लौटूँगा, उनका पीछा किया था

Transliteration

tato 'nvadhāvad vārṣṇeyaṃ sarvaśastrabhūtāṃ varaḥ | saḥ sampūrṇaśastradhāriṣu śreṣṭha āsīt | sa pratijñāṃ kṛtvā—“ahaṃ vṛṣṇivaṃśī śrīkṛṣṇaṃ mārayitvā vinā svanagaraṃ na nivartiṣye” iti—tam anujagāma |

Translation

毗舍摩波耶那说：于是那位首屈一指的武士——在一切执兵者中最为卓绝——追逐瓦尔什涅耶（圣奎师那）。他立下阴沉誓言：“不杀毗湿尼族的圣奎师那，我决不回城。”遂紧追不舍。

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्/ततः = thereafter/from there)

• अन्वधावत्: ran after/pursued
• अन्वधावत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: धाव् (धावति)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वार्ष्णेयम्: the Vārṣṇeya (Krishna, descendant of Vṛṣṇi)
• वार्ष्णेयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ष्णेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सर्वशस्त्रभूताम्: who had become (as it were) all weapons / weapon-incarnate
• सर्वशस्त्रभूताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-शस्त्र-भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वरः: the excellent/best one
• वरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vārṣṇeya (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Vṛṣṇi lineage
• sva-nagara (his city)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the moral danger of binding oneself to a violent vow: when personal resolve is driven by enmity and pride, it can override discernment (dharma-viveka) and push one toward adharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A renowned, fully armed warrior chases Śrī Kṛṣṇa (called Vārṣṇeya), declaring he will not return to his city unless he kills him—showing escalating hostility and the force of a self-imposed oath.