Shloka 8

Adhyāya 6: Kaṅka (Yudhiṣṭhira) Seeks Refuge in Virāṭa’s Assembly

Devanagari script

चतुर्भुजे चतुर्वक्त्रे पीनश्रोणिपयोधरे । मयूरपिच्छवलये केयूराजड़रदधारिणि । भासि देवि यथा पद्मा नारायणपरिग्रह:

Transliteration

caturbhuje caturvaktre pīnaśroṇipayodhare | mayūrapicchavalaye keyūrājaṭaraddhāriṇi | bhāsi devi yathā padmā nārāyaṇaparigrahaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Dewi, berlengan empat dan berwajah empat, berpinggul dan berdada penuh; berhias lingkaran bulu merak, memakai gelang lengan, serta berambut gimbal—engkau bersinar seperti teratai, seakan dipeluk oleh Nārāyaṇa.”

Word by Word

चतुर्भुजेO four-armed (one)

चतुर्वक्त्रेO four-faced (one)

पीनश्रोणिपयोधरेO (one) with full hips and breasts

मयूरपिच्छवलयेO (one) with a peacock-feather bracelet/garland

केयूराजङ्गदधारिणिO wearer of armlets and bracelets

भासिyou shine

देविO goddess

यथाas, like

पद्माPadmā (Lakṣmī)

नारायणपरिग्रहःwhose consort is Nārāyaṇa / embraced by Nārāyaṇa

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Devī

Nārāyaṇa

Padmā (Śrī/Lakṣmī)

mayūrapiccha (peacock-feather ornament)

keyūra (armlets)

jaṭā (matted locks)

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 functions as a devotional-stylistic praise: it highlights divine splendor and auspicious association with Nārāyaṇa, implying that true radiance and prosperity (Padmā/Śrī) are grounded in dharmic, divine alignment rather than mere external beauty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates a description of a goddess-like figure, detailing her iconographic features (four arms, four faces, ornaments, matted locks) and comparing her radiance to Padmā (Śrī/Lakṣmī), explicitly linking her to Nārāyaṇa as his embraced/associated consort.