Yudhiṣṭhira’s Post-Accession Settlements and Approach to Vāsudeva (युधिष्ठिरस्य राज्यस्थापनं वासुदेवाभिगमनं च)
ततो महति पर्यड्के मणिकाञ्चनभूषिते | ददर्श कृष्णमासीनं नीलमेघसमगद्युतिम्
tato mahati paryaṅke maṇikāñcanabhūṣite | dadarśa kṛṣṇam āsīnaṃ nīlameghasamagadyutim ||
Then he saw Kṛṣṇa seated upon a great couch adorned with gems and gold, radiant like a dark rain-cloud. The scene conveys reverent recognition of divine majesty: the observer’s gaze is drawn not to power for its own sake, but to an auspicious presence whose splendor signifies protection, guidance, and the restoration of dharma after the devastations of war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse foregrounds darśana—recognition of the divine and auspicious—suggesting that true authority and guidance are grounded in dharma and protective compassion. Kṛṣṇa’s radiance functions as a narrative marker of reassurance and moral orientation in the aftermath of conflict.
The narrator reports a sight: Kṛṣṇa is seen seated on a grand couch ornamented with gems and gold, shining with cloud-like dark splendor. It is a descriptive moment that sets a reverential tone before counsel, instruction, or significant dialogue.