Shloka 65

Adhyāya 123 — Droṇa’s Pedagogy: Arjuna’s Preeminence, Ekalavya’s Self-Training, and the Bhāsa-Lakṣya Trial

Devanagari script

ऋतुस्थला घृताची च विश्वाची पूर्वचित्त्यपि । उम्लोचेति च विख्याता प्रम्लोचेति च ता दश

Transliteration

ṛtusthalā ghṛtācī ca viśvācī pūrvacitty api | umloceti ca vikhyātā pramloceti ca tā daśa

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: „Unter ihnen waren Ṛtusthalā, Ghṛtācī und Viśvācī sowie Pūrvacitti. Berühmt waren auch Umlocā und Pramlocā — so werden hier diese zehn (himmlischen Nymphen) genannt.“

Word by Word

ऋतुस्थलाṚtusthalā (a nymph's name)

घृताचीGhṛtācī (a nymph's name)

चand

विश्वाचीViśvācī (a nymph's name)

पूर्वचित्त्याPūrvacitti (a nymph's name)

अपिalso

उम्लोचाUmlocā (a nymph's name)

इतिthus (so-called)

चand

विख्याताwell-known, famed

प्रम्लोचाPramlocā (a nymph's name)

इतिthus (so-called)

चand

ताthose (feminine)

दशten

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Ṛ

Ṛtusthalā

Ghṛtācī

Viśvācī

Pūrvacitti

Umlocā

Pramlocā

Apsarases (celestial nymphs)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This verse is primarily descriptive rather than didactic: it preserves traditional memory by naming celebrated Apsarases. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical world, such catalogues also remind readers of the allure and influence of celestial beauty within narratives involving restraint, temptation, and the testing of ascetic or royal discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues a list of Apsarases, naming Ṛtusthalā, Ghṛtācī, Viśvācī, Pūrvacitti, Umlocā, and Pramlocā, and indicates that these belong to a set of ten being enumerated in this passage.