Shloka 18

Devanagari script

नाहं मनांस्याददेयं मार्गे सत्रीणामिति प्रभो । पांसूलिप्तसर्वाड्रो नकुलस्तेन गच्छति,प्रभो! “मार्ममें मैं स्त्रियोंका चित्त न चुरा लूँ" इस भयसे नकुल अपने सारे अंगोंमें धूल लगाकर यात्रा करते हैं

Transliteration

nāhaṃ manāṃsy ādadeyaṃ mārge strīṇām iti prabho | pāṃsulipta-sarvāṅgo nakulas tena gacchati, prabho ||

Translation

Vidura dit : «Ô seigneur, je ne voudrais pas, en chemin, dérober le cœur des femmes.» C’est pourquoi Nakula poursuit sa route, le corps tout entier couvert de poussière, afin de ne pas devenir une cause de tentation ou de trouble pour autrui, et de garder sa conduite sous contrôle.

Word by Word

नnot

अहम्I

मनांसिminds, hearts

आददेयम्might take away, might steal

मार्गेon the road, while travelling

स्त्रीणाम्of women

इतिthus (quotative)

प्रभोO lord

पांसूलिप्तसर्वाङ्गःwhose whole body is smeared with dust

नकुलःNakula

तेनtherefore, by that (reason)

गच्छतिgoes, travels

प्रभोO lord

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

Nakula

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should practice self-restraint and avoid becoming a cause of agitation or temptation for others; ethical conduct includes taking practical steps to protect both oneself and society from moral lapses.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura explains that Nakula, famed for his beauty, deliberately smears dust over his body while travelling so that he does not inadvertently captivate women’s hearts; it is presented as a deliberate discipline of modesty and caution.