Shloka 44
Adhyāya 196: Droṇa’s Conciliatory Counsel and Karṇa’s Suspicion of Counsel (मन्त्र-नय-विवादः)
व्यास उवाच आसीत् तपोवने काचिदृषे: कन्या महात्मन: । नाध्यगच्छत् पतिं सा तु कन्या रूपवती सती,व्यासजीने कहा--राजन्! (अपनी पुत्रीके एक और जन्मका वृत्तान्त भी सुनो--) एक तपोवनमें किसी महात्मा मुनिकी कोई कन्या रहती थी। सती-साध्वी एवं रूपवती होनेपर भी उसे योग्य पतिकी प्राप्ति नहीं हुई
vyāsa uvāca āsīt tapovane kācid ṛṣeḥ kanyā mahātmanaḥ | nādhyagacchat patiṃ sā tu kanyā rūpavatī satī ||
قال فياسا: كان في غابةِ النُّسّاكِ وموضعِ الزُّهدِ ابنةٌ لِحكيمٍ عظيمِ النَّفس. غير أنّ تلك الفتاة—مع عفّتها وجمالها—لم تنل زوجًا يليق بها.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that personal virtue and beauty alone do not guarantee immediate worldly outcomes; human life is also shaped by destiny, timing, and social conditions, so one should not equate merit with instant reward.
Vyāsa begins recounting an episode about a sage’s daughter living in an ascetic forest hermitage who, despite being virtuous and beautiful, does not obtain a husband—setting up the circumstances for the ensuing story.