Mahabharata · 2.2.4–5
॥
Devanāgarī
ददर्शानन्तरं कृष्णो भगिनीं स्वां महायशाः ॥
ताम् उपेत्य हृषीकेशः प्रीत्या बाष्पसमन्वितः ॥
अर्थ्यं तथ्यं हितं वाक्यं लघु युक्तम् अनुत्तमम् ॥
उवाच भगवान् भद्रां सुभद्रां भद्रभाषिणीम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dadarśānantaraṃ kṛṣṇo bhaginīṃ svāṃ mahāyaśāḥ ||
tām upetya hṛṣīkeśaḥ prītyā bāṣpasamanvitaḥ ||
arthyaṃ tathyaṃ hitaṃ vākyaṃ laghu yuktam anuttamam ||
uvāca bhagavān bhadrāṃ subhadrāṃ bhadrabhāṣiṇīm ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ददर्श अनन्तरम् कृष्णःdadarśa anantaram kṛṣṇaḥthen Krishna saw
भगिनीम् स्वाम् महा-यशाःbhaginīm svām mahā-yaśāḥhis own sister [Subhadra], the greatly renowned one;
ताम् उपेत्य हृषीकेशःtām upetya hṛṣīkeśaḥdrawing near to her, Hrishikesha,
प्रीत्या बाष्प-समन्वितःprītyā bāṣpa-samanvitaḥwith love, with tears,
अर्थ्यम् तथ्यम् हितम् वाक्यम्arthyam tathyam hitam vākyama word meaningful, true, beneficial,
लघु युक्तम् अनुत्तमम्laghu yuktam anuttamambrief, fitting, unsurpassed
उवाच भगवान् भद्राम्uvāca bhagavān bhadrāmthe gracious Lord spoke
सुभद्राम् भद्र-भाषिणीम्subhadrām bhadra-bhāṣiṇīmto Subhadra, of gracious speech.
ददर्शानन्तरंdadarśānantaraṃoriginal form "dadarśānantaraṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कृष्णोkṛṣṇooriginal form "kṛṣṇo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भगिनींbhaginīṃoriginal form "bhaginīṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्वांsvāṃoriginal form "svāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महायशाःmahāyaśāḥoriginal form "mahāyaśāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बाष्पसमन्वितःbāṣpasamanvitaḥoriginal form "bāṣpasamanvitaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अर्थ्यंarthyaṃoriginal form "arthyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथ्यंtathyaṃoriginal form "tathyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हितंhitaṃoriginal form "hitaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वाक्यंvākyaṃoriginal form "vākyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भद्रांbhadrāṃoriginal form "bhadrāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुभद्रांsubhadrāṃoriginal form "subhadrāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भद्रभाषिणीम्bhadrabhāṣiṇīmoriginal form "bhadrabhāṣiṇīm", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Then the greatly renowned Krishna saw his sister Subhadra; and drawing near to her with love and with tears, Hrishikesha spoke to gracious Subhadra, whose speech is gracious, a word meaningful, true, beneficial, brief, fitting, and unsurpassed."
Version
242f729d0da7 · published Jul 16, 2026, 2:43:40 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the Lord, master of the senses, shows tears of love at parting from His sister. It is significant that His word is described by six qualities — meaningful, true, beneficial, brief, fitting, unsurpassed: such is the speech of the righteous, in which there is no falsehood, no emptiness, no harm. Thus scripture sets forth a model of good speech; and Subhadra entrusts Him with messages for her kin.