Shloka 9
कुन्तीनिवर्तनप्रयत्नः तथा वननिवासप्रारम्भः
Attempt to Dissuade Kuntī; Commencement of Forest Residence
इयं पुनः पद्मदलायताक्षी मध्यं वय: किंचिदिव स्पृशन्ती । नीलोत्पलाभा सुरदेवतेव कृष्णा स्थिता मूर्तिमतीव लक्ष्मी:
iyaṃ punaḥ padma-dalāyatākṣī madhyaṃ vayaḥ kiñcid iva spṛśantī | nīlotpalābhā sura-devateva kṛṣṇā sthitā mūrtimatīva lakṣmīḥ ||
संजय म्हणाला—ही पुन्हा पद्मदलासारख्या विशाल नेत्रांची, जणू यौवनाच्या मध्यावर नुकतीच पाऊल ठेवणारी आहे. नीलोत्पलासारखी श्यामकांती, देवदेवतांसारखीच देवी भासते; कृष्णा अशी उभी आहे की जणू साक्षात् लक्ष्मीच मूर्तिमान झाली आहे.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the imagery of Lakṣmī and lotus-like beauty to signal auspiciousness joined to dignity. In the Ashramavāsika setting—where loss and withdrawal from power dominate—it subtly teaches that true ‘śrī’ (splendor/fortune) is not mere luxury but a moral radiance that should accompany dharma and steadfast character.
Sañjaya is describing Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) in elevated poetic terms—her eyes, complexion, and presence—presenting her as goddess-like and Lakṣmī embodied. The description functions to highlight her stature and the reverence she commands within the unfolding events of the parva.