Shloka 34

Kaurava Court Hears of the Pāṇḍavas’ Forest Hardship (वैचित्रवीर्यवंशीयस्य राज्ञः करुणाविचारः)

Devanagari script

भूय: संचिन्तयामास न न्याय्य॑ क्षुभितो हाहम्‌ । साध्व्य: पत्न्यो द्विजेन्द्राणामकामा: कामयाम्यहम्‌,फिर उन्होंने मन-ही-मन विचार किया कि "मेरा यह कार्य कदापि उचित नहीं है। मेरे मनमें विचार आ गया है। इन ब्रह्मर्षियोंकी पत्नियाँ पतिव्रता हैं। ये मुझे बिलकुल नहीं चाहतीं, तो भी मैं इनकी कामना करता हूँ

Transliteration

bhūyaḥ sañcintayāmāsa na nyāyyaṃ kṣubhito hāham | sādhvyaḥ patnyo dvijendrāṇām akāmāḥ kāmayāmy aham ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: Wieder dachte er bei sich, innerlich aufgewühlt: „Weh mir, das ziemt sich nicht für mich. Dies sind die tugendhaften, ihren Gatten treuen Gemahlinnen der erhabensten Brahmanen; sie begehren mich keineswegs—und doch begehre ich sie.“

Word by Word

• {'bhūyaḥ': 'again, once more', 'sañcintayāmāsa': 'he pondered, reflected (intensively)', 'na nyāyyam': 'not proper, not justifiable, not in accordance with right conduct', 'kṣubhitaḥ': 'agitated, disturbed (mentally)', 'hā': 'alas! (exclamation of regret)', 'aham': 'I', 'sādhvyaḥ': 'virtuous women

• chaste, of good conduct', 'patnyaḥ': 'wives', 'dvijendrāṇām': 'of the best among the twice-born (Brahmin sages)', 'akāmāḥ': 'without desire (for me)

• unwilling', 'kāmayāmi': 'I desire, I lust after', 'aham (repeated)': 'I (emphatic self-reference)'}

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• dvijendrāḥ (foremost Brahmins/sages)
• patnyaḥ (their wives)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when desire arises, dharmic awareness can and should judge it: desiring another’s faithful spouse—especially one who is unwilling—is explicitly recognized as improper. The verse foregrounds conscience (moral discernment) as the first step toward restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

A character (as narrated by Mārkaṇḍeya) becomes mentally disturbed by desire toward the wives of great Brahmin sages. He then pauses and reflects, admitting to himself that his impulse is unjustifiable because the women are virtuous and do not desire him.