Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अर्जुन उवाच इन्द्रस्यार्धासनं राजन्नयमारोदुमर्हति । ब्रह्माण्य: श्रुतवांस्त्यागी यज्ञशीलो दृढव्रत:

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca indrasya ardhāsanaṃ rājann ayam āroḍhum arhati | brahmaṇyaḥ śrutavāṃs tyāgī yajñaśīlo dṛḍhavrataḥ ||

Translation

Arjuna dit : «Ô roi, sans même parler de ton trône : cet homme est digne de monter jusqu’à la moitié du siège d’Indra. Il est dévoué aux brahmanes, instruit des savoirs sacrés, renonçant, attaché au devoir du sacrifice, et ferme dans l’observance de ses vœux.»

Word by Word

• {'rājan': 'O king (vocative address)', 'indrasya': 'of Indra (lord of the gods)', 'ardhāsanam': 'half-seat

• half of the throne', 'ayam': 'this man (the person being praised)', 'āroḍhum': 'to mount, to ascend', 'arhati': 'is worthy, deserves', 'brahmaṇyaḥ': 'devoted to Brāhmaṇas

• pious, respectful to the priestly/learned class', 'śrutavān': 'learned

• one who has heard/masters śruti and traditional learning', 'tyāgī': 'renunciant

• self-sacrificing, generous', 'yajñaśīlaḥ': 'disposed to sacrifice

• devoted to yajña and sacred duties', 'dṛḍhavrataḥ': 'firm in vows

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Indra
• King (rājan)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True honor and authority are grounded in dharmic qualities—learning, self-restraint, generosity/renunciation, sacrificial responsibility, and steadfast vows—so that moral excellence can be portrayed as worthy of even divine honor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna addresses a king and elevates the status of a particular man by praising his virtues, declaring that such a person deserves not merely a human throne but even a share of Indra’s seat, thereby persuading the listener through ethical commendation.