Shloka 16

Nārada’s Visit at Indraprastha and Counsel on Concord; Introduction to Sundopasunda–Tilottamā

Devanagari script

अथवा दर्शनीयाभि: प्रमदाभिर्विलो भ्यताम्‌ । एकैकस्तत्र कौन्तेयस्तत: कृष्णा विरज्यताम्‌,अथवा देखनेमें सुन्दर युवती स्त्रियोंद्वारा एक-एक पाण्डवको लुभाया जाय और इस प्रकार कृष्णाका मन उनकी ओरसे फेर दिया जाय

Transliteration

athavā darśanīyābhiḥ pramadābhir vilobhyatām | ekaikaḥ tatra kaunteyaḥ tataḥ kṛṣṇā virajyatām ||

Translation

Or else, let attractive young women be used to entice them: let each son of Kuntī be lured one by one, so that Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) may turn her affection away from them.

Word by Word

अथवाor else

दर्शनीयाभिःby beautiful/attractive (women)

प्रमदाभिःby young women

विलोभ्यताम्let (him) be enticed

एकैकःeach one (individually)

तत्रthere

कौन्तेयःa son of Kunti (a Pandava)

ततःthen/thereupon; from that

कृष्णाKrishnaa (Draupadi)

विरज्यताम्let (her) become disaffected/turn away

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Kaunteya (the Pāṇḍavas)

Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)

pramadāḥ (attractive young women)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an adharma-driven political mindset: instead of fair conduct, the speaker proposes exploiting lust and jealousy to break familial and marital bonds. It implicitly warns that strategies rooted in manipulation and kāma corrode trust and invite moral downfall.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana suggests a scheme to weaken the Pāṇḍavas by sending beautiful women to seduce them individually, aiming to make Draupadī lose affection for them and thereby disrupt their unity.