Shloka 7

Adhyāya 14: Sudēṣṇā Sends Sairandhrī to Kīcaka’s House (सुदेष्णा–सैरन्ध्री–कीचक संवादः)

Devanagari script

नेयं मया जातु पुरेह दृष्टा राज्ञो विराटस्य निवेशने शुभा । रूपेण चोन्मादयतीव मां भृशं गन्धेन जाता मदिरेव भामिनी,'सुदेष्णे! यह सुन्दरी जो अपने रूपसे मुझे अत्यन्त उन्मत्त-सा किये देती है, पहले कभी राजा विराटके इस महलमें मेरे द्वारा नहीं देखी गयी थी। यह भामिनी अपनी दिव्य गन्धसे मेरे लिये मदिरा-सी मादक हो रही है

Transliteration

naivaṁ mayā jātu pureha dṛṣṭā rājño virāṭasya niveśane śubhā | rūpeṇa conmādayatīva māṁ bhṛśaṁ gandhena jātā madireva bhāminī ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Sudeṣṇā! Nie zuvor habe ich hier in dieser Stadt, im glückverheißenden Palast König Virāṭas, eine Frau wie diese gesehen. Durch ihre Schönheit scheint sie mich in heftige Verwirrung zu stürzen, und durch ihren Duft berauscht sie mich wie Wein — diese strahlende Dame.“

Word by Word

• {'na': 'not', 'iyam': 'this (woman)', 'mayā': 'by me', 'jātu': 'ever, at any time', 'purā iha': 'formerly here

• here in this place/city', 'dṛṣṭā': 'seen', 'rājñaḥ': 'of the king', 'virāṭasya': 'of Virāṭa', 'niveśane': 'in the residence/palace', 'śubhā': 'auspicious

• beautiful', 'rūpeṇa': 'by (her) form/beauty', 'ca': 'and', 'unmādayatī iva': 'as if maddening/deranging', 'mām': 'me', 'bhṛśam': 'exceedingly, intensely', 'gandhena': 'by fragrance/scent', 'jātā': 'has become

• appears as', 'madirā iva': 'like wine/intoxicant', 'bhāminī': 'a lovely/bright woman

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Virāṭa
• Virāṭa’s palace (niveśana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how sensory allure—beauty and fragrance—can overwhelm the mind, implying the ethical need for vigilance and self-restraint (indriya-nigraha) even in refined, courtly settings.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Virāṭa’s palace, the speaker (as narrated by Vaiśampāyana) describes encountering a strikingly beautiful woman never seen there before, emphasizing her captivating form and intoxicating fragrance.