Shloka 28
कल्माषपाद-शाप-कारणम्
Cause of Kalmāṣapāda’s Niyoga under a Curse
यत्र विख्यातकीर्ति: स कुरूणामृषभो5भवत् । स राजा मन्मथाविष्टस्तद्गतेनान्तरात्मना
yatra vikhyāta-kīrtiḥ sa kurūṇām ṛṣabho 'bhavat | sa rājā manmathāviṣṭas tad-gatenāntarātmanā ||
Vasiṣṭha dijo: «Allí, aquel rey—de fama renombrada, el más excelso de los Kurus—estaba sentado, vencido por el poder del deseo, con su ser interior enteramente absorto en Tapati».
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a celebrated and capable ruler can be inwardly overpowered by desire; the verse highlights the ethical need for self-mastery and the recognition that inner fixation (antarātmanā tad-gatena) can govern outward conduct.
Vasiṣṭha points out the place where King Saṃvaraṇa, famed among the Kurus, is sitting in a love-stricken state—mentally absorbed in Tapati—setting the stage for the ensuing resolution of their relationship.