Shloka 15
चित्रसेन-समागमः / The Engagement with Citrasena and the Gandharvas
जिह्दया यानि पुरुषस्त्वचा वाप्युपसेवते । तत्र चूर्णानि दत्तानि हन्यु: क्षिप्रमसंशयम्,“उनके दिये हुए चूर्ण ऐसे होते हैं कि उन्हें पति यदि जिह्ला अथवा त्वचासे भी स्पर्श कर ले, तो वे नि:ःसंदेह उसी क्षण उसके प्राण ले लें
jihvayā yāni puruṣas tvacā vāpy upasevate | tatra cūrṇāni dattāni hanyuḥ kṣipram asaṁśayam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Those powders—whether a man takes them in by the tongue or even through contact with the skin—are so lethal that, once administered, they would kill him swiftly, without any doubt.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral severity of hidden, treacherous violence—harm delivered through seemingly harmless contact—implying a deep violation of dharma because it relies on deception rather than accountable action.
Vaiśampāyana describes the deadly potency of certain administered powders: even minimal exposure—tasting with the tongue or touching the skin—would rapidly cause death, emphasizing the peril of covert poisoning.