Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अर्जुन उवाच इन्द्रस्यार्धासनं राजन्नयमारोदुमर्हति । ब्रह्माण्य: श्रुतवांस्त्यागी यज्ञशीलो दृढव्रत:

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca indrasya ardhāsanaṃ rājann ayam āroḍhum arhati | brahmaṇyaḥ śrutavāṃs tyāgī yajñaśīlo dṛḍhavrataḥ ||

Translation

Arjuna disse: “Ó rei, deixando de lado o teu trono—este homem é digno até de ascender a metade do assento de Indra. É devoto dos brâmanes, versado no saber sagrado, abnegado, dedicado ao dever do sacrifício e firme na observância de seus votos.”

Word by Word

• {'rājan': 'O king (vocative address)', 'indrasya': 'of Indra (lord of the gods)', 'ardhāsanam': 'half-seat

• half of the throne', 'ayam': 'this man (the person being praised)', 'āroḍhum': 'to mount, to ascend', 'arhati': 'is worthy, deserves', 'brahmaṇyaḥ': 'devoted to Brāhmaṇas

• pious, respectful to the priestly/learned class', 'śrutavān': 'learned

• one who has heard/masters śruti and traditional learning', 'tyāgī': 'renunciant

• self-sacrificing, generous', 'yajñaśīlaḥ': 'disposed to sacrifice

• devoted to yajña and sacred duties', 'dṛḍhavrataḥ': 'firm in vows

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Indra
• King (rājan)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True honor and authority are grounded in dharmic qualities—learning, self-restraint, generosity/renunciation, sacrificial responsibility, and steadfast vows—so that moral excellence can be portrayed as worthy of even divine honor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna addresses a king and elevates the status of a particular man by praising his virtues, declaring that such a person deserves not merely a human throne but even a share of Indra’s seat, thereby persuading the listener through ethical commendation.