Shloka 24
Jarītā-Śārṅgaka-saṃvādaḥ — The Dialogue of Jaritā and the Śārṅgaka Chicks
Fire-escape deliberation
काश्रित् प्रह्ष ननृतुश्लुक्तुशुश्च तथापरा: । जहसुश्न परा नार्यो जगुश्नान्या वरस्त्रिय:
kāścid prahṛṣṭā nanṛtuḥ kluṣṭuś ca tathāparāḥ | jahasuś ca parā nāryo jaguś cānyā vara-striyaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Certaines femmes, transportées de joie, se mirent à danser ; d’autres élevèrent de grands cris et un tumulte retentissant. Beaucoup éclatèrent de rire, et quelques dames choisies, d’une beauté exquise, entonnèrent des chants — comme un jaillissement d’allégresse festive dans la scène ainsi peinte.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it portrays how collective emotion expresses itself through dance, laughter, song, and loud acclamation. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s attention to human responses—joy and excitement arising in social settings—without explicitly prescribing or condemning them.
Vaiśampāyana narrates a lively scene in which groups of women react with exuberance: some dance, some create loud commotion, others laugh openly, and some sing. It functions as a vivid snapshot of festivity and public rejoicing within the ongoing Adi Parva narration.