Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

नेयं मया जातु पुरेह दृष्टा राज्ञो विराटस्य निवेशने शुभा । रूपेण चोन्मादयतीव मां भृशं गन्धेन जाता मदिरेव भामिनी

Transliteration

naivaṁ mayā jātu pureha dṛṣṭā rājño virāṭasya niveśane śubhā | rūpeṇa conmādayatīva māṁ bhṛśaṁ gandhena jātā madireva bhāminī ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Never before have I seen, here in this city, within King Virāṭa’s auspicious palace, a woman like this. By her beauty she seems to drive me into intense bewilderment, and by her fragrance she becomes intoxicating to me, like wine—this radiant lady.”

Word by Word

• {'na': 'not', 'iyam': 'this (woman)', 'mayā': 'by me', 'jātu': 'ever, at any time', 'purā iha': 'formerly here

• here in this place/city', 'dṛṣṭā': 'seen', 'rājñaḥ': 'of the king', 'virāṭasya': 'of Virāṭa', 'niveśane': 'in the residence/palace', 'śubhā': 'auspicious

• beautiful', 'rūpeṇa': 'by (her) form/beauty', 'ca': 'and', 'unmādayatī iva': 'as if maddening/deranging', 'mām': 'me', 'bhṛśam': 'exceedingly, intensely', 'gandhena': 'by fragrance/scent', 'jātā': 'has become

• appears as', 'madirā iva': 'like wine/intoxicant', 'bhāminī': 'a lovely/bright woman

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Virāṭa
• Virāṭa’s palace (niveśana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how sensory allure—beauty and fragrance—can overwhelm the mind, implying the ethical need for vigilance and self-restraint (indriya-nigraha) even in refined, courtly settings.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Virāṭa’s palace, the speaker (as narrated by Vaiśampāyana) describes encountering a strikingly beautiful woman never seen there before, emphasizing her captivating form and intoxicating fragrance.