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:,ये जो किंचित् मध्यम वयका स्पर्श करती हुई, नील कमलदलके समान विशाल नेत्रोंवाली एवं नील उत्पलकी-सी श्यामकान्तिसे सुशोभित होनेवाली सुन्दरी मूर्तिमती लक्ष्मी तथा देवताओंकी देवी-सी जान पड़ती हैं, ये ही महारानी ट्रुपदकुमारी कृष्णा हैं
iyaṃ punaḥ padma-dalāyatākṣī madhyaṃ vayaḥ kiñcid iva spṛśantī | nīlotpalābhā sura-devateva kṛṣṇā sthitā mūrtimatīva lakṣmīḥ ||
Disse Sañjaya: “Esta dama, mais uma vez—de olhos largos como pétalas de lótus—parece ter apenas tocado o meio de sua juventude. De tez escura como o nenúfar azul, ela se mostra como a deusa dos deuses; Kṛṣṇā está ali, como se a própria Lakṣmī tivesse tomado forma corpórea.”
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.