Verse 1.5.43

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.5.43:

उद्दिश्य यान् कौरव-संसदं गतः कृष्णः समक्षं निजगाद मादृशां ।
ये पाण्डवानां सुहृदोऽथ वैरिणस् ते तादृशा मेऽपि ममासवो हि ते ॥ ४३ ॥

uddiśya yān kaurava-saṃsadaṃ gataḥ kṛṣṇaḥ samakṣaṃ nijagāda mādṛśāṃ |
ye pāṇḍavānāṃ suhṛdo'tha vairiṇas te tādṛśā me'pi mamāsavo hi te || 43 ||

In the assembly of the Kauravas, Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Those who are the well-wishers of the Pāṇḍavas are also my well-wishers. Those who are their enemies are also My enemies, because the Pāṇḍavas are like the life-airs of My very soul.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Śrī Nārada is explaining how Śrī Kṛṣṇa was so merciful to the Pāṇḍavas in this śloka beginning with uddiśya. Śrī Kṛṣṇa spoke by hinting at “you people in the assembly of the Kauravas,” right in front of such dignified sages as Nārada. This indicates the highest truth known by all great personalities.

What did Śrī Kṛṣṇa say? “Those people who are well-wishers (benefactors) of the Pāṇḍavas, they are also My well-wishers, and those who are their enemies are also My enemies because the Pāṇḍavas are as dear to Me as My very own life.”

Just as, for example, in the Udyoga-parva of the Mahābhārata (89.28), Bhagavān said:

यस् तान् द्वेष्टि स मां द्वेष्टि यस् तान् अनु स माम् अनु
ऐकात्म्यम् आगतं विद्धि पाण्ड्वैर् धर्म-चारिभिः

yas tān dveṣṭi sa māṃ dveṣṭi yas tān anu sa mām anu
aikātmyam āgataṃ viddhi pāṇḍvair dharma-cāribhiḥ

“Those persons who envy the Pāṇḍavas envy Me, and those who are followers of the Pāṇḍavas also follow Me. Therefore, the Pāṇḍavas who follow dharma and Myself should be regarded as one.”

Elsewhere also it is said that once when the Kauravas requested Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa to take a meal, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa said:

द्विषद्-अन्नं न भोक्तव्यं द्विषन्तं नैव भोजयेत्
पाण्डवान् द्विषसे राजन्! मम प्राणा हि पाण्डवाः

dviṣad-annaṃ na bhoktavyaṃ dviṣantaṃ naiva bhojayet
pāṇḍavān dviṣase rājan! mama prāṇā hi pāṇḍavāḥ

“One should neither accept food from envious persons nor feed them food. O king, you persons are envious of the Pāṇḍavas, however the Pāṇḍavas are like the vital life airs (prāṇa) of My own self.”