Shloka 31

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

Devanagari script

भोगोपचारान्‌ विविधान्‌ सौभाग्यं चाप्यनुत्तमम्‌ । पान पिब महाभागे भोगैश्चानुत्तमै: शुभै:

Transliteration

bhogopacārān vividhān saubhāgyaṃ cāpy anuttamam | pānaṃ piba mahābhāge bhogaiś cānuttamaiḥ śubhaiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Enjoy the many kinds of luxuries and the unsurpassed good fortune that have come to you. O highly fortunate lady, drink the choice beverages and partake of these excellent, auspicious pleasures. Your supreme beauty is being wasted in the present situation; like a fine garland that has not been worn around anyone’s neck and therefore does not shine, so too, though you are auspicious and radiant, you do not appear fully adorned when you are not made another’s ‘garland’.”

Word by Word

• भोगोपचारान्: attendant enjoyments / comforts
• भोगोपचारान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोगोपचार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विविधान्: various
• विविधान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सौभाग्यम्: good fortune
• सौभाग्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभाग्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पानम्: drink, beverage
• पानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पिब: drink!
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (पिबति)
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular

• महाभागे: O highly fortunate lady
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• भोगैः: with enjoyments/pleasures
• भोगैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• अनुत्तमैः: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शुभैः: auspicious, fine
• शुभैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• mahābhāgā (addressed lady)
• pāna (beverages)
• bhoga (luxuries/pleasures)
• hāra (garland/necklace)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension between sensual indulgence and restraint: it depicts a persuasive invitation to pleasure that treats beauty and fortune as things to be ‘used,’ thereby implicitly raising questions about objectification, self-control, and dharma in a courtly setting.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates a scene in which a woman is being urged to enjoy luxurious comforts and fine drinks; the speaker flatters her beauty and uses the metaphor of an unworn garland to suggest her attractiveness is ‘wasted’ unless she becomes someone’s adornment.