यशोमानौ वर्धयन् यादवानां; पुराभिनच् छिशुपालं समीके ॥
यस्य सर्वे वर्धयन्ति स्म मानं; करूषराजप्रमुखा नरेन्द्राः ॥
तम् असह्यं केशवं तत्र मत्वा; सुग्रीवयुक्तेन रथेन कृष्णम् ॥
संप्राद्रवंश् चेदिपतिं विहाय; सिंहं दृष्ट्वा क्षुद्रमृगा इवान्ये ॥
यस् तं प्रतीपस् तरसा प्रत्युदीयाद्; आशंसमानो द्वैरथे वासुदेवम् ॥
सो ऽशेत कृष्णेन हतः परासुर्; वातेनेवोन्मथितः कर्णिकारः ॥
पराक्रमं मे यद् अवेदयन्त; तेषाम् अर्थे संजय केशवस्य ॥
अनुस्मरंस् तस्य कर्माणि विष्णोर्; गावल्गणे नाधिगच्छामि शान्तिम् ॥
न जातु ताञ् शत्रुर् अन्यः सहेत; येषां स स्याद् अग्रणीर् वृष्णिसिंहः ॥
प्रवेपते मे हृदयं भयेन; श्रुत्वा कृष्णाव् एकरथे समेतौ ॥
yaśomānau vardhayan yādavānāṃ; purābhinac chiśupālaṃ samīke ||
yasya sarve vardhayanti sma mānaṃ; karūṣarājapramukhā narendrāḥ ||
tam asahyaṃ keśavaṃ tatra matvā; sugrīvayuktena rathena kṛṣṇam ||
saṃprādravaṃś cedipatiṃ vihāya; siṃhaṃ dṛṣṭvā kṣudramṛgā ivānye ||
yas taṃ pratīpas tarasā pratyudīyād; āśaṃsamāno dvairathe vāsudevam ||
so 'śeta kṛṣṇena hataḥ parāsur; vātenevonmathitaḥ karṇikāraḥ ||
parākramaṃ me yad avedayanta; teṣām arthe saṃjaya keśavasya ||
anusmaraṃs tasya karmāṇi viṣṇor; gāvalgaṇe nādhigacchāmi śāntim ||
na jātu tāñ śatrur anyaḥ saheta; yeṣāṃ sa syād agraṇīr vṛṣṇisiṃhaḥ ||
pravepate me hṛdayaṃ bhayena; śrutvā kṛṣṇāv ekarathe sametau ||
Keshava turned his gaze upon that Shishupala and struck him down, thereby increasing the glory and honor of the sons of Pandu. This was the very Shishupala who was held in high esteem by those kings led by the king of the Karusha tribe. Then the other kings, deeming Krishna unassailable as he sat upon his chariot yoked with Sugriva and his other steeds, abandoned the lord of Chedi and fled like small animals at the sight of a lion. And thus he who, out of rashness, sought to oppose Krishna and meet him in close combat, was slain by Krishna and lay lifeless, resembling a karnikara tree uprooted by a storm. O Sanjaya, O son of Gavalgana, what they have told me of Krishna's deeds on behalf of the sons of Pandu, and what I myself recall of his past achievements, leave me no peace. No enemy is able to withstand them while they are led by the lion of the Vrishni race. My heart trembles with fear when I learn that the two Krishnas sit together on a single chariot. If my dull-witted son refrains from fighting these two, then let all be well with him; otherwise these two will consume the race of Kuru, just as Indra and Upendra consumed the host of the Daityas.
864765e0e7df · published Jul 17, 2026, 3:43:07 AM UTC
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This passage develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace unfolds already against the backdrop of an inevitable war. Key themes: Krishna, Sanjaya, Karna. Dharma here reveals itself through speech, through the choice of an embassy, through fidelity to one's word, and through a king's responsibility for the consequences of his decisions.