Shloka 35
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
पुरोपवाहिनीं तस्य नदीं शुक्तिमतीं गिरि: । अरौत्सीच्चेतनायुक्त: कामात् कोलाहल: किल,उनकी राजधानीके समीप शुक्तिमती नदी बहती थी। एक समय कोलाहल नामक सचेतन पर्वतने कामवश उस दिव्यरूपधारिणी नदीको रोक लिया
puropavāhinīṁ tasya nadīṁ śuktimatīṁ giriḥ | arautsīc cetanāyuktaḥ kāmāt kolāhalaḥ kila ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Cerca de su capital fluía el río Śuktimatī. Se cuenta que una vez la montaña llamada Kolāhala—dotada de conciencia—movida por el deseo, obstruyó aquel río, que había asumido una forma maravillosa y divina.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of kāma: when desire governs action, it can obstruct what is meant to flow freely and support life (symbolized by the river), disrupting social and natural order—an implicit call to restraint and dharma.
A river named Śuktimatī flows near the capital. A mountain called Kolāhala, described as sentient, becomes driven by desire and blocks the river’s course, setting up a mythic incident involving the river and the surrounding realm.