Shloka 12

Devanagari script

उत्कृष्ट एव ग्राहस्तु सोडर्जुनेन यशस्विना । बभूव नारी कल्याणी सर्वाभरणभूषिता,यशस्वी अर्जुनद्वारा पानीके ऊपर खिंच आनेपर वह ग्राह समस्त आभूषणोंसे विभूषित एक परम सुन्दरी नारीके रूपमें परिणत हो गया

Transliteration

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | utkṛṣṭa eva grāhastu so 'rjunena yaśasvinā | babhūva nārī kalyāṇī sarvābharaṇabhūṣitā ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: Когда тот крокодил был силой вытащен славным Арджуной, он тотчас обратился в благородную и благую женщину, украшенную всеми видами драгоценностей.

Word by Word

उत्कृष्टःexcellent, superior

एवindeed, just

ग्राहःcrocodile/alligator

तुbut, however

सःhe/that (one)

उद्धृतःpulled up, drawn out

अर्जुनेनby Arjuna

यशस्विनाby the renowned (one)

बभूवbecame

नारीa woman

कल्याणीauspicious, beautiful

सर्वाभरणभूषिताadorned with all ornaments

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna

grāha (crocodile)

nārī (woman)

ābharaṇa (ornaments)

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?

Strength aligned with dharma—used to rescue rather than to dominate—can become a means of liberation, restoring dignity and right order; the sudden transformation symbolizes release from a degraded condition through righteous intervention.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna pulls a crocodile up out of the water; upon being drawn out, it immediately transforms into an auspicious, ornamented woman, indicating a supernatural release or restoration triggered by Arjuna’s act.