Shloka 32

Devanagari script

सबला मधुराश्चैव यौवनस्था: स्वलंकृता: । माहात्म्येन च संयुक्ता: कामरूपधरास्तथा,भरतनन्दन! इनके नख, दाँत और मुख सभी विशाल हैं। वे सबला, मधुरा (सुन्दरी), युवावस्थासे सम्पन्न तथा वस्त्राभूषणोंसे विभूषित हैं। इनकी बड़ी महिमा है। ये अपनी इच्छाके अनुसार रूप धारण करनेवाली हैं

Transliteration

sabalā madhurāś caiva yauvanasthāḥ svalaṅkṛtāḥ | māhātmyena ca saṃyuktāḥ kāmarūpadharās tathā, bharatanandana |

Translation

वैशम्पायन बोले—भरतनन्दन! वे नाना वर्णों की, अत्यन्त मधुर (सुन्दरी), यौवन से सम्पन्न और अपने ही आभूषणों से विभूषित थीं। महान् प्रभाव और महिमा से युक्त होकर वे इच्छानुसार रूप धारण करने वाली थीं।

Word by Word

सबलाstrong, powerful

मधुराःsweet; lovely

चand

एवindeed; just

यौवनस्थाःbeing in youth; youthful

स्वलंकृताःwell-adorned

माहात्म्येनwith greatness; by majesty

चand

संयुक्ताःendowed; joined (with)

कामरूपधराःthose who assume forms at will

तथाthus; likewise

भरतनन्दनO delight of Bharata (O descendant of Bharata)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

bharatanandana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s ethical caution about appearances: beauty, youth, and adornment can accompany extraordinary powers, so discernment is needed rather than being led by outward charm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana describes a group of beings (women/figures) as beautiful, youthful, ornamented, and possessed of great power, emphasizing their ability to change form at will, while addressing the listener as ‘bharatanandana’.