Shloka 1.32.16

कुशवंशवर्णनम् — The Line of Kuśa and the Disfigurement of Kuśanābha’s Daughters by Vāyu

Devanagari script

अहं व: कामये सर्वा भार्या मम भविष्यथ।मानुषस्त्यज्यतां भावः दीर्घमायुरवाप्स्यथ।।।।

Transliteration

tāḥ sarvaguṇasampannā rūpayauvanasaṃyutāḥ |

dṛṣṭvā sarvātmakō vāyur idaṃ vacanam abravīt || 1.32.15 ||

Translation

Seeing those maidens endowed with every excellence, and graced with beauty and youth, Vāyu—the all-pervading one—spoke these words to them.

Context

I request you all to be my wives. You will leave this feeling of mortality and attain along life.

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu
• kanyāḥ (maidens)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The verse prepares a moral examination: power and divinity (Vāyu) do not automatically confer moral entitlement; speech and desire must align with dharma, which will be contested in the next verses.

What is the narrative situation?

Vāyu sees the hundred maidens and begins addressing them, initiating the conflict.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The maidens are explicitly described as sarvaguṇasampannāḥ—possessing virtues—setting up their later principled response.