Shloka 9

Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 58 — Saṃjaya’s Audience and Kṛṣṇa’s Deterrent Counsel (संजय-प्रवेशः कृष्णवाक्यं च)

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वरेखातलौ पादौ पार्थस्य शुभलक्षणौ । पादपीठादपदह्तौ तत्रापश्यमहं शुभौ

Transliteration

ūrdhvarekhātalau pādau pārthasya śubhalakṣaṇau | pādapīṭhād apadahatau tatrāpaśyam ahaṃ śubhau ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Dort erblickte ich Pārthas (Arjunas) Füße — glückverheißend, gekennzeichnet durch aufwärts laufende Linien und flache Sohlen. Auf dem Schemel ruhend, waren sie unversehrt; so sah ich jene beiden heiligen, begnadeten Füße.“

Word by Word

• ऊर्ध्वरेखातलौ: having soles marked with upward lines
• ऊर्ध्वरेखातलौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्वरेखा-तल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• पादौ: two feet
• पादौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• पार्थस्य: of Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• शुभलक्षणौ: of auspicious marks
• शुभलक्षणौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ-लक्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• पादपीठात्: from the footstool
• पादपीठात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादपीठ
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अपदहतौ: were burning / scorched
• अपदहतौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप + दह्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Dual

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• अपश्यम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 1st, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• शुभौ: auspicious (two)
• शुभौ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• pādapīṭha (footstool)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the traditional idea that outward signs (lakṣaṇas) can indicate inner fortune and fitness for great responsibility. In the Udyoga Parva’s tense pre-war setting, such auspicious description reinforces Arjuna’s stature and the moral weight of the coming conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports what he observed: Arjuna’s feet, resting on a footstool, are described as auspicious and unharmed. The detail functions as a courtly, observational vignette that underscores Arjuna’s presence and dignity within the larger diplomatic and martial preparations of the Udyoga Parva.