Shloka 19

Adhyāya 14: Sudēṣṇā Sends Sairandhrī to Kīcaka’s House (सुदेष्णा–सैरन्ध्री–कीचक संवादः)

Devanagari script

निरीक्ष्य वक्‍त्रचन्द्रं ते लक्ष्म्मानुपमया युतम्‌ । कृत्स्ने जगति को नेह कामस्य वशगो भवेत्‌

Transliteration

nirīkṣya vaktracandraṃ te lakṣmyānupamayā yutam | kṛtsne jagati ko neha kāmasya vaśago bhavet ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Beholding your moon-like face, adorned with incomparable beauty and fortune, who in this whole world would not fall under the sway of desire? Your face, radiant with a divine splendor, delights the mind; seeing it, what man could remain free from Kāma’s dominion?”

Word by Word

• निरीक्ष्य: having looked at / seeing
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-ईक्ष्
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थक अव्यय), कर्तरि, पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (absolutive)

• वक्त्रचन्द्रम्: the moon-like face
• वक्त्रचन्द्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र-चन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ते: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• लक्ष्म्यानुपमया: with incomparable beauty/splendour
• लक्ष्म्यानुपमया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी-अनुपमा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• युतम्: endowed/possessed (with)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कृत्स्ने: in the whole/entire
• कृत्स्ने: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• जगति: in the world
• जगति: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कः: who
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• कामस्य: of desire / of Kāma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वशगः: subjugated, under the control (of)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वशग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: would become / might be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), 3rd, Singular, परस्मैपद

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kāma
• Lakṣmī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the overpowering pull of sensual desire when confronted with striking beauty, implicitly pointing to the ethical need for restraint (dama) and vigilance so that attraction does not override dharma and right conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a speaker praises someone’s extraordinary beauty—describing a moon-like face endowed with incomparable splendor—and remarks that such a sight would naturally place men under the influence of Kāma (desire).