Mahabharata 1.78.8 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 78, Shloka 8
ययाति-देवयानी-शर्मिष्ठा विवादः — Śukra’s Curse and the Disclosure of Lineage
देवयान्युवाच कस्माद गृह्नासि मे वस्त्र शिष्या भूत्वा ममासुरि | समुदाचारहीनाया न ते साधु भविष्यति
devayāny uvāca kasmād gṛhṇāsi me vastraṃ śiṣyā bhūtvā mamāsuri | samudācārahīnāyā na te sādhu bhaviṣyati ||
Devayānī sprach: „O Asura-Mädchen! Wie kannst du, nachdem du meine Schülerin geworden bist, mein Gewand an dich nehmen? Dir fehlt die feine Sitte, die die Tugendhaften wahren; darum wird dir kein Heil zuteil.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse stresses that ethical refinement (samudācāra) and respect for roles—especially the teacher–disciple bond—are essential; violating them is portrayed as leading to inauspicious consequences.
Devayānī rebukes an Asura girl (implicitly Śarmiṣṭhā) for taking her garment despite being her pupil, accusing her of lacking proper conduct and warning that such behavior will not lead to her welfare.
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