Shloka 37
Kaurava Court Hears of the Pāṇḍavas’ Forest Hardship (वैचित्रवीर्यवंशीयस्य राज्ञः करुणाविचारः)
निरुष्य तत्र सुचिरमेवं वल्निर्वशं गत: । मनस्तासु विनिक्षिप्य कामयानो वराड़ना:
niruṣya tatra suciram evaṁ valnir vaśaṁ gataḥ | manas tāsu vinikṣipya kāmayāno varāṅganāḥ ||
Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: Nachdem er sich dort lange gezügelt hatte, geriet er schließlich unter die Herrschaft der Leidenschaft. Indem er seinen Geist auf jene Frauen richtete, begann er die schöngegliederten Jungfrauen zu begehren.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of losing inner mastery: when the mind is fixed on sense-objects, even long restraint can collapse into desire. Dharma here is linked to vigilant mental discipline, not merely outward control.
Mārkaṇḍeya narrates a moment where a person, after long restraint, becomes overpowered by passion; his mind turns toward certain women, and he begins to desire them—marking a turning point from restraint to infatuation.