Shloka 7
Āraṇyaka Parva, Adhyāya 116: Jamadagni–Reṇukā Narrative and the Kārtavīrya Conflict
Akṛtavraṇa’s Account
क्रीडन्तं सलिले दृष्टवा सभार्य पद्ममालिनम् | ऋद्धिमन्तं ततस्तस्य स्पृहयामास रेणुका,राजन्! जब वह स्नान करके लौटने लगी उस समय अकस्मात् उसकी दृष्टि मार्तिकावत देशके राजा चित्ररथपर पड़ी, जो कमलोंकी माला धारण करके अपनी पत्नीके साथ जलनमें क्रीड़ा कर रहा था। उस समृद्धिशाली नरेशको उस अवस्थामें देखकर रेणुकाने उसकी इच्छा की
krīḍantaṃ salile dṛṣṭvā sabhārya-padma-mālinam | ṛddhimantaṃ tatas tasya spṛhayāmāsa reṇukā, rājan ||
Akṛtavraṇa said: “O King, as Reṇukā was returning after bathing, she suddenly saw King Citraratha of the Mārtikāvata region, adorned with a garland of lotuses, sporting in the water with his wife. Seeing that prosperous monarch in such a scene, Reṇukā felt desire for him.”
अकृतव्रण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a sudden sensory encounter can trigger desire even in a respected person, implying the ethical need for vigilance (saṃyama) and inner restraint; unchecked longing becomes the seed for later moral and familial consequences in the narrative.
As Reṇukā finishes bathing and returns, she unexpectedly sees King Citraratha enjoying himself in the water with his wife, wearing a lotus garland; impressed by his prosperity and the scene, she develops desire for him.