Shloka 13

Aṣṭāvakra–Strī-saṃvāda: Dhṛti, hospitality, and a dispute on autonomy

Devanagari script

सा तस्य दृष्टवैव मनो जहार शुभलोचना । वनराजी यथा चित्रा वसन्ते कुसुमाचिता,जैसे वसंतऋतुमें सुन्दर फूलोंसे सजी हुई विचित्र वनश्रेणी मनुष्यके मनको लुभा लेती है, उसी प्रकार उस शुभलोचना मुनिकुमारीने दर्शनमात्रसे अष्टावक्रका मन चुरा लिया था

Transliteration

sā tasya dṛṣṭvaiva mano jahāra śubhalocanā | vanarājī yathā citrā vasante kusumācitā ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: Die schönäugige Jungfrau raubte ihm das Herz in dem Augenblick, da er sie erblickte. Wie ein buntes Waldgehölz, im Frühling mit Blüten geschmückt, den Geist unwiderstehlich erfreut, so fesselte sie durch bloßen Anblick Aṣṭāvakras Sinn.

Word by Word

साshe

तस्यof him

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

एवindeed/just

मनःmind

जहारstole/removed

शुभलोचनाshe of beautiful eyes

वनराजीa row/tract of forest (forest-line)

यथाas/just as

चित्राvariegated/beautiful

वसन्तेin spring

कुसुमाचिताcovered/adorned with flowers

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Ashtavakra

a fair-eyed ascetic maiden (munikumārī)

spring (vasanta)

forest-grove (vanarājī)

flowers (kusuma)

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?

The verse highlights the mind’s susceptibility to sensory beauty and the suddenness with which attachment can arise; ethically, it points toward the need for vigilance and self-restraint so that attraction does not overpower discernment (viveka) and dharmic conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes how, upon seeing a beautiful, fair-eyed ascetic maiden, Ashtavakra’s mind was immediately captivated, using the simile of a spring forest richly adorned with flowers that naturally enchants the viewer.