Shloka 9

धृतराष्ट्र–संजय संवादः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Sañjaya on Arjuna’s Indraloka report and the political consequences

Devanagari script

स्तनोद्वहनसंक्षोभान्नम्यमाना पदे पदे । त्रिवलीदामचित्रेण मध्येनातीवशोभिना,स्तनोंके भारी भारको वहन करनेके कारण थककर वह पग-पगपर झुकी जाती थी। उसका अत्यन्त सुन्दर मध्यभाग (उदर) त्रिवली रेखासे विचित्र शोभा धारण करता था

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

stanodvahana-saṃkṣobhān namyamānā pade pade |

trivalī-dāma-citreṇa madhyenātīva śobhinā ||

Translation

Afligida y rendida por el vaivén del pesado fardo de sus grandes pechos, se inclinaba a cada paso. Y, sin embargo, su cintura—de una belleza extrema—lucía el maravilloso adorno de tres gráciles pliegues (trivālī), que realzaban aún más su figura.

Word by Word

स्तन-उद्वहन-संक्षोभात्from the agitation/strain caused by carrying the breasts

नम्यमानाbending (herself), stooping

पदेat a step

पदेat (each) step

त्रिवली-दाम-चित्रेणadorned/variegated with a garland-like triple fold

मध्येनwith (her) waist/middle

अतीवexceedingly, very

शोभिनाbeautiful, splendid

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse juxtaposes bodily strain with beauty, implicitly urging a mindful, ethically tempered perception: one should recognize vulnerability and burden behind outward appearance, rather than reducing a person to an object of gaze.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a woman’s gait and form: she bends at each step due to the heavy movement and burden of her breasts, while her waist/abdomen appears especially beautiful, marked by the decorative-looking three folds (trivalī).