Shloka 1

Devanagari script

/ अपन काल बा | अर षट्षष्टितमो<5 ध्याय: युधिष्ठिरका अर्जुनसे भ्रमवश कर्णके मारे जानेका वृत्तान्त पूछना युधिषछ्िर उवाच स्वागतं देवकीमात: स्वागतं ते धनंजय । प्रियं मे दर्शनं गाढं युवयोरच्युतार्जुनौ

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—svāgataṃ Devakī-mātaḥ, svāgataṃ te Dhanaṃjaya; priyaṃ me darśanaṃ gāḍhaṃ yuvayor Acyutārjunau.

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira dit : « Sois le bienvenu, ô fils de Devakī ; sois le bienvenu, Dhanaṃjaya. Il m’est profondément cher de vous voir tous deux—Acyuta et Arjuna. »

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

स्वागतम्welcome

देवकीमातःO (son of) Devakī’s mother (i.e., Kṛṣṇa/Vāsudeva lineage epithet)

स्वागतम्welcome

तेto you

धनंजयO Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

प्रियम्dear, pleasing

मेmy / to me

दर्शनम्seeing, sight, meeting

गाढम्deeply, greatly (intensely)

युवयोःof you two

अच्युतO Acyuta (Kṛṣṇa)

अर्जुनौO Arjuna (you two addressed together as Acyuta and Arjuna)

Speaker

युधिषछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

य

युधिष्ठिर (Yudhiṣṭhira)

द

देवकी (Devakī)

क

कृष्ण / वासुदेव / अच्युत (Kṛṣṇa/Vāsudeva/Acyuta)

अ

अर्जुन (Arjuna)

ध

धनंजय (Dhanaṃjaya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid the harshness of war, dharmic leadership expresses gratitude, relief, and reverence toward those who uphold righteous counsel and protection—here, Yudhiṣṭhira honors Kṛṣṇa’s guidance and Arjuna’s steadfast support.

What is happening in the narrative?

At the opening of this chapter, Yudhiṣṭhira greets Kṛṣṇa (addressed as Devakī’s son, Acyuta) and Arjuna (Dhanaṃjaya), expressing how deeply pleasing it is to see them—setting the tone for his forthcoming inquiry about events in the battle, especially concerning Karṇa.