Mahabharata 4.44.24 — Virata Parva, Adhyaya 44, Shloka 24

कृपकर्णसंवादः

Kṛpa’s Counsel to Karṇa on Deśa-Kāla and Coordinated Strategy

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! तदनन्तर विराटपुत्र उत्तरने निकट जाकर अर्जुनके चरणोंमें प्रणाम किया और बोला--“मेरा नाम भूमिंजय तथा उत्तर भी है ।।

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca—janamejaya! tad-anantaraṁ virāṭa-putra uttaraḥ nikaṭaṁ gatvā arjunasya caraṇayoḥ praṇamya uvāca—“mama nāma bhūmiñjaya tathā uttara iti. diṣṭyā tvāṁ pārtha paśyāmi; svāgataṁ te dhanañjaya. lohitākṣa mahābāho nāgarāja-karopama.”

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O Janamejaya, darauf trat Uttara, der Sohn Virāṭas, zu Arjuna, verneigte sich zu seinen Füßen und sprach: ‚Mein Name ist Bhūmiṃjaya, und auch Uttara. Durch glückliche Fügung erblicke ich dich, o Pārtha; sei willkommen, o Dhanañjaya. O Mächtigarmiger mit rötlichen Augen, dessen Arme der Rüssel des Elefantenkönigs gleichen.‘“

Word by Word

• दिष्ट्या: fortunately / by good luck
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिष्टि
• Form: Avyaya (instrumental sense: 'by good fortune')

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Pronoun; accusative; singular

• पार्थ: O son of Pritha (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine; vocative; singular

• पश्यामि: I see
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Present; parasmaipada; 1st person; singular

• स्वागतम्: welcome
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वागत
• Form: Neuter; nominative; singular (used as interjectional predicate)

• ते: to you / for you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Pronoun; dative; singular

• धनंजय: O Dhananjaya (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय
• Form: Masculine; vocative; singular

• लोहिताक्ष: O red-eyed one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोहिताक्ष
• Form: Masculine; vocative; singular

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine; vocative; singular

• नागरजकरोपम: O one whose (arm/hand) is like the hand/trunk of the king of elephants
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नागरजकरोपम
• Form: Masculine; vocative; singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Virāṭa
• Uttara
• Arjuna
• Pārtha
• Dhanañjaya
• Bhūmiñjaya
• Nāgarāja (lord of elephants, metaphor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dharmic etiquette: a younger prince approaches a superior warrior with humility, bows at his feet, and offers respectful welcome. It models how honor and self-restraint should accompany power and status.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the preceding events, Virāṭa’s son Uttara comes close to Arjuna, pays obeisance, identifies himself by name (Bhūmiñjaya/Uttara), and praises Arjuna with epithets and vivid imagery, formally welcoming him.