Shloka 8
Droṇotpattiḥ, Astralābhaḥ, Drupada-vairasya bījaṃ ca
The Birth of Droṇa, Acquisition of Weapons, and the Seed of Enmity with Drupada
ततोऊहं सर्वभूतानां भावे विचरता शुभे । चोदिता तव पुत्रस्य मन्मथेन वशानुगा,शुभे! उन्हें देखते ही समस्त प्राणियोंके अन्तःकरणमें विचरनेवाले कामदेवसे प्रेरित होकर मैं आपके पुत्रकी वशवर्तिनी हो गयी
tato ’haṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ bhāve vicaratā śubhe | coditā tava putrasya manmathena vaśānugā ||
Then, O auspicious lady, stirred by Manmatha—who moves within the hearts of all beings—I became subject to your son’s power, compelled by desire the moment I beheld him.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how kāma (desire), personified as Manmatha, can overpower the mind and make one act under another’s influence; it implicitly raises the ethical need for inner restraint and discernment when strong impulses arise.
A woman addresses an ‘auspicious lady’ and confesses that, upon seeing her son, she was impelled by Manmatha and became subject to the son’s sway—describing attraction as an inner compulsion rather than a fully deliberate choice.