Shloka 11
Adhyāya 45 — Duryodhana’s Distress, Śakuni’s Counsel, and the Summons for Dyūta
एष मायाप्रतिच्छन्न: करूषार्थ तपस्विनीम् । जहार भद्रां वैशालीं मातुलस्य नृशंसकृत्
eṣa māyāpraticchannaḥ karūṣārtha tapasvinīm | jahāra bhadrāṃ vaiśālīṃ mātulasya nṛśaṃsakṛt ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Dissim ulant sa véritable forme sous le masque de la ruse, cet homme—dans le dessein de servir l’avantage du roi de Karūṣa—enleva Bhadrā de Vaiśālī, femme vouée aux austérités, fille de son propre oncle maternel, accomplissant ainsi un acte de cruauté.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights adharma arising from deception and the betrayal of family bonds: hiding one’s identity to abduct a woman—especially a relative and an ascetic—marks a grave ethical transgression, showing how desire and political advantage can override righteousness.
Vaiśampāyana reports that a cruel man, masking himself through deception (even adopting a misleading guise), abducts Bhadrā of Vaiśālī—his maternal uncle’s daughter—apparently to serve the interests of Karūṣa (or its king).