Shloka 6
कच-देवयानी संवादः
Kaca–Devayānī Dialogue and the Curse on Vidyā
गृद्धां वाससि सम्भ्रान्तां मेनकां मुनिसत्तम: । अनिर्देश्यवयोरूपामपश्यद् विवृतां तदा
gṛddhāṃ vāsasi sambhrāntāṃ menakāṃ munisattamaḥ | anirdeśyavayorūpām apaśyad vivṛtāṃ tadā ||
Da erblickte der erhabenste der Weisen Menakā — erschrocken und verwirrt, das Gewand in Unordnung — vor ihm entblößt; ihre Jugend und Schönheit waren so außergewöhnlich, dass sie jeder genauen Beschreibung zu entgleiten schienen.
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral test: when confronted with another’s sudden exposure and distress, the righteous response is governed by self-control, clarity, and compassion rather than impulse. It frames beauty and vulnerability as occasions for ethical discernment.
Kaṇva, described as the foremost of sages, sees Menakā in a startled, disheveled state, her garment disturbed and her appearance revealed. The narration sets up the circumstances that will shape how the sage responds to her situation.