Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

हारालंकारयोग्यौ तु सतनौ चोभौ सुशोभनौ । सुजातौ सहितौ लक्ष्म्या पीनौ वृत्तौ निरन्तरौं

Transliteration

hārālaṅkārayogyau tu stanau cobhau suśobhanau | sujātau sahitau lakṣmyā pīnau vṛttau nirantarau ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Her two breasts are fit to be adorned with necklaces and ornaments and are exceedingly beautiful—well-formed, endowed with auspicious splendor, full, rounded, and closely set together.”

Word by Word

• हार: necklace
• हार: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (in compound/elliptic), Singular (generic)

• अलंकार: ornament, decoration
• अलंकार: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलंकार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (in compound/elliptic), Singular (generic)

• योग्यौ: fit, suitable
• योग्यौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• सतनौ: breasts
• सतनौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• सुशोभनौ: very beautiful
• सुशोभनौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-शोभन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• सुजातौ: well-formed, well-born
• सुजातौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-जात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• सहितौ: together, joined
• सहितौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• लक्ष्म्या: with beauty/splendor
• लक्ष्म्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• पीनौ: full, plump
• पीनौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• वृत्तौ: round
• वृत्तौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• निरन्तरौ: close together, contiguous
• निरन्तरौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरन्तर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• hāra (necklace)
• alaṅkāra (ornaments)
• Lakṣmī (as auspicious splendor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily serves a descriptive, courtly function rather than a direct moral injunction; it reflects the epic’s use of auspicious markers (lakṣmī) and idealized bodily features to signal fortune, status, and perceived excellence within the narrative world.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing a woman’s physical features in ornate, evaluative language—emphasizing beauty, auspiciousness, and suitability for adornment—typical of epic characterization in scenes involving recognition, appraisal, or courtly observation.