Shloka 18
भृगुवंश-प्रस्तावना तथा पुलोमा–अग्नि-संवादः
Bhrigu Lineage Preface and the Pulomā–Agni Dialogue
तां तु रक्षस्तदा ब्रह्मन् हच्छयेनाभिपीडितम् । दृष्टवा दृष्टम भूद् राजन जिहीर्षुस्तामनिन्दिताम्,ब्रह्मन! वह राक्षस कामसे पीड़ित हो रहा था। उस समय उसने वहाँ पुलोमाको अकेली देख बड़े हर्षका अनुभव किया, क्योंकि वह सती-साध्वी पुलोमाको हर ले जाना चाहता था
tāṃ tu rakṣas tadā brahman hṛcchayenābhipīḍitam | dṛṣṭvā dṛṣṭam abhūd rājan jihīrṣus tāṃ aninditām ||
Śaunaka said: “But then, O Brāhmaṇa, that rākṣasa—tormented by lust—caught sight of her. Seeing her, he was filled with delight, O King, for he desired to carry off that blameless, virtuous woman.”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts virtue (aninditā, the blameless woman) with adharma driven by uncontrolled desire (hṛcchaya). It implicitly warns that lust can overpower judgment and lead to grave wrongdoing such as abduction, violating social and moral order.
A rākṣasa, inflamed by lust, sees Pulomā alone and becomes delighted because he intends to seize and carry her away. Śaunaka narrates this to the listener addressed as ‘O King’ and ‘O Brāhmaṇa’ within the frame-story.