Ādi-parva Adhyāya 98 — Paraśurāma’s kṣatriya suppression; Dīrghatamas, Bali, Sudēṣṇā, and the birth of Aṅga
स कदाचिन्महाराज ददर्श परमां स्त्रियम् । जाज्वल्यमानां वपुषा साक्षाच्छियमिवापराम्,महाराज जनमेजय! एक दिन उन्होंने एक परम सुन्दरी नारी देखी, जो अपने तेजस्वी शरीरसे ऐसी प्रकाशित हो रही थी, मानो साक्षात् लक्ष्मी ही दूसरा शरीर धारण करके आ गयी हो
sa kadācin mahārāja dadarśa paramāṃ striyam | jājvalyamānāṃ vapuṣā sākṣāc chriyam ivāparām ||
Wika ni Vaiśampāyana: O Hari, minsan ay nakita niya ang isang babaeng walang kapantay ang ganda, at ang kaniyang katawan ay nagliliyab sa liwanag—na wari’y si Lakṣmī mismo ang hayagang nag-anyong iba. Binibigyang-diin ng taludtod na ang pambihirang ningning ay maaaring basahin bilang tanda ng pagpapala at kagandahang-palad, at inihahanda rin ang susunod na pangyayari sa pagmamarka na siya’y hindi karaniwang nilalang.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights the traditional Indic association of extraordinary radiance and beauty with śrī—auspicious fortune and divine presence—while implicitly cautioning that such signs, though compelling, are part of a larger moral and narrative unfolding rather than a guarantee of outcomes.
The narrator (Vaiśampāyana) tells King Janamejaya that, at a certain time, a figure (he) saw an exceptionally beautiful woman whose brilliance made her seem like Lakṣmī incarnate, introducing a pivotal character or moment through a vivid description of her splendor.