Shloka 6
Adhyāya 61: Saṃmohana-astra and the Kuru Withdrawal (संमोहनास्त्रं तथा कुरुनिवृत्तिः)
गन्धेन मूर्च्छित श्वाह॑ं वसारुधिरमेदसाम् | द्वैधीभूतं मनो मेड्द्य तव चैव प्रपश्यत:,“मैं चर्बी, रक्त और मेदकी गन्धसे मूर्च्छित हो रहा हूँ। आज आपके देखते-देखते मेरा मन दुविधामें पड़ गया है”
gandhena mūrcchitaḥ śvāhaṃ vasārudhira-medasām | dvaidhībhūtaṃ mano medhya tava caiva prapaśyataḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Accablé par la puanteur de la graisse, du sang et de la chair, je demeure comme frappé de stupeur. Et aujourd’hui, sous tes yeux mêmes, mon esprit est tombé dans une douloureuse indécision.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and psychological cost of violence: the physical reality of blood and flesh can overwhelm the senses and disturb even a ‘pure’ or disciplined mind, producing doubt and inner conflict—an implicit reminder that dharma is tested not only in ideals but amid disturbing realities.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a speaker describes being overcome by the smell of gore—fat and blood—and confesses that, in the listener’s very presence, his mind has become divided, signaling a moment of hesitation or moral uncertainty within the unfolding events of the Virāṭa episode.