Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 20

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas

Devanagari script

गन्धाभरणमाल्येषु व्यासक्त: सविशेषत: । अलंचक्रे तदा55त्मानं सत्वर: काममोहितः

Transliteration

gandhābharaṇamālyeṣu vyāsaktaḥ saviśeṣataḥ | alaṃcakre tadātmānaṃ satvaraḥ kāmamohitaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Overcome by desire, he hurriedly adorned himself, becoming especially attached to perfumes, ornaments, and garlands—absorbed in sensual display and indulgence.

Word by Word

• गन्ध: fragrances, perfumes
• गन्ध: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Locative (as member of compound), Plural (as member of compound)

• आभरण: ornaments, jewelry
• आभरण: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आभरण
• Form: Neuter, Locative (as member of compound), Plural (as member of compound)

• माल्येषु: in garlands
• माल्येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• व्यासक्तः: attached, engrossed
• व्यासक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-आसक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सविशेषतः: especially, in particular
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स-विशेषतः

• अलञ्चक्रे: adorned (himself)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अलङ्-√कृ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सत्वरः: hasty, quickly acting
• सत्वरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• काममोहितः: deluded by desire
• काममोहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम-मोहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• perfumes (gandha)
• ornaments/jewelry (ābharaṇa)
• garlands (mālya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how kāma (desire) can produce moha (delusion), driving a person toward outward adornment and sensory indulgence; ethically, it points to the need for restraint and clarity rather than being led by attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a man, stirred by desire, hastily decorating himself and becoming particularly engrossed in perfumes, jewelry, and garlands—signaling infatuation and preoccupation with sensual presentation.