Shloka 13

Devanagari script

उत्तर उवाच य एष जाम्बूनदशुद्धगौर- तनुर्महान्‌ सिंह इव प्रवृद्धः । प्रचण्डघोण: पृथुदीर्घनेत्र- स्ताम्रायताक्ष: कुरुगाज एष:,उत्तर बोले--पिताजी! विशुद्ध जाम्बूनद नामक सुवर्णके समान जिनका गौर शरीर है, जो सबसे बड़े और सिंहके समान हृष्ट-पुष्ट हैं, जिनकी नाक लंबी और बड़े-बड़े नेत्र कुछ लालिमा लिये कानोंतक फैले हुए हैं, ये ही कुरुकुलनरेश महाराज युधिष्ठिर हैं

Transliteration

uttara uvāca ya eṣa jāmbūnadaśuddhagauratanur mahān siṁha iva pravṛddhaḥ | pracaṇḍaghoṇaḥ pṛthudīrghanetraḥ tāmrāyatākṣaḥ kurugāja eṣaḥ ||

Translation

Uttara dit : «Père, celui-ci—dont le corps clair est pur comme l’or Jāmbūnada, grand et puissant comme un lion parvenu à maturité; au nez saillant, aux yeux larges et longs, au regard légèrement cuivré—c’est le roi des Kuru, le Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.»

Word by Word

उत्तरःUttara (the prince)

उवाचsaid

यःwho

एषःthis (one)

जाम्बूनद-शुद्ध-गौर-तनुःwhose body is fair and pure like Jāmbūnada-gold

महान्great

सिंहःlion

इवlike, as

प्रवृद्धःfully grown, well-developed

प्रचण्ड-घोणःhaving a fierce/prominent snout (nose)

पृथु-दीर्घ-नेत्रःhaving broad and long eyes

ताम्रायत-अक्षःwhose eyes are coppery/reddish and elongated

कुरुगजःthe Kuru-elephant (best of Kurus; epithet)

एषःthis (is he)

Speaker

उत्तर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Uttara

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kuru (dynasty/realm)

Jāmbūnada (gold)

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?

The verse highlights the traditional markers of righteous kingship: inner worth is reflected in dignified presence, and a dhārmic ruler like Yudhiṣṭhira is recognized not merely by name but by qualities associated with nobility, restraint, and eminence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Uttara points out and identifies Yudhiṣṭhira, describing his majestic appearance through poetic similes (gold-like radiance, lion-like strength), thereby revealing recognition of the Kuru king’s stature within the unfolding events of the Virāṭa episode.