Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 7
Adhyāya 6: Kaṅka (Yudhiṣṭhira) Seeks Refuge in Virāṭa’s Assembly
नमोस्तु वरदे कृष्णे कुमारि ब्रह्मचारिणि । बालार्कसदृशाकारे पूर्णचन्द्रनिभानने
namo'stu varade kṛṣṇe kumāri brahmacāriṇi | bālārka-sadṛśākāre pūrṇa-candra-nibhānane ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Salutations to you, O Kṛṣṇā, bestower of boons—O maiden, O vowed celibate. Your form shines like the young rising sun, and your face is soothing like the full moon.” Thus, desiring the Goddess’s vision and favor, King Yudhiṣṭhira, together with his brothers, began praising her again with many reverential names—an act of devotion grounded in humility and righteous intent amid adversity.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models dhārmic devotion: in hardship one approaches the divine with humility, self-restraint, and reverent speech, seeking boons not through entitlement but through disciplined praise and surrender.
Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira, with his brothers, resumes a hymn to the Goddess, addressing her as Kṛṣṇā, boon-giver, maiden, and brahmacāriṇī, describing her radiant, auspicious appearance like the rising sun and the full moon.