Shloka 13

Kirmīra-rākṣasa-saṃgamaḥ (Encounter and Slaying of Kirmīra) | किर्मीरेण सह भीमसेनसमागमः

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्विशालायां बदर्या मधुसूदन । अतिष्ठ एकपादेन वायुभक्ष: शतं समा:,मधुसूदन! आप विशालापुरीके बदरिकाश्रममें दोनों भुजाएँ ऊपर उठाये केवल वायुका आहार करते हुए सौ वर्षोतक एक पैरसे खड़े रहे हैं

Transliteration

ūrdhvabāhur viśālāyāṃ badaryā madhusūdana | atiṣṭha ekapādena vāyubhakṣaḥ śataṃ samāḥ ||

Translation

ಓ ಮಧುಸೂದನ! ವಿಶಾಲವಾದ ಬದರಿ ವನದಲ್ಲಿ ನೀನು ಎರಡೂ ಭುಜಗಳನ್ನು ಮೇಲಕ್ಕೆತ್ತಿ, ಕೇವಲ ವಾಯುವನ್ನೇ ಆಹಾರವಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು, ಒಂದು ಕಾಲಿನ ಮೇಲೆ ನಿಂತು ನೂರು ವರ್ಷಗಳು ತಪಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಥಿತನಾಗಿದ್ದೆ.

Word by Word

ऊर्ध्वबाहुःwith arms raised upward

विशालायाम्in Viśālā (city/region)

बदर्याम्at Badarī (Badarikāśrama)

मधुसूदनO Madhusūdana (Krishna)

अतिष्ठत्stood

एकपादेनon/with one foot

वायुभक्षःair-eating; living on air

शतम्a hundred

समाःyears

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Krishna (Madhusūdana)

Badarī (Badarikā region/āśrama)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights tapas (austerity) as a disciplined, long-term commitment—endurance, restraint, and single-pointed resolve are presented as means to spiritual attainment and inner strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa and recounts an extreme ascetic practice performed at Badarī: standing on one foot with arms raised, living only on air for a hundred years, emphasizing the intensity of his penance.