Shloka 9
Subhadrā-vilāpaḥ — Subhadrā’s Lament for Abhimanyu
Droṇa-parva 55
तां निरीक्ष्याब्रवीद् वाक््यं पर्वत: प्रहसन्निव । कस्येयं चड्चलापाज़ी सर्वलक्षणसम्मता,तब महर्षि पर्वतने उस कन्याकी ओर देखकर हँसते हुए-से कहा--'राजन्! यह समस्त शुभ लक्षणोंसे सम्मानित चंचल कटाक्षवाली कन्या किसकी पुत्री है?
tāṃ nirīkṣyābravīd vākyaṃ parvataḥ prahasann iva | kasye yaṃ cañcalāpāṅgī sarvalakṣaṇasammatā ||
Seeing her, the sage Parvata spoke with a smile, as if amused: “O King, whose daughter is this maiden—approved by every auspicious mark—whose sidelong glances are so lively and restless?”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the classical ethical lens of courtly and dharmic society: a person’s identity and social placement are sought through lineage and guardianship, and a maiden’s auspicious qualities are acknowledged with restraint and formal inquiry rather than impulsive action.
Vyāsa narrates that the sage Parvata notices a maiden, smiles as if amused, and asks the king whose daughter she is—remarking on her auspicious signs and lively sidelong glances.