Shloka 7
चित्रसेन-समागमः / The Engagement with Citrasena and the Gandharvas
व्रतचर्या तपो वापि स्नानमन्त्रौषधानि वा । विद्यावीर्य मूलवीर्य जपहोमागदास्तथा,“पाज्चालकुमारी कृष्णे! आज मुझे भी कोई ऐसा व्रत, तप, स्नान, मन्त्र, औषध, विद्या-शक्ति, मूल-शक्ति (जड़ी-बूटीका प्रभाव) जप, होम या दवा बताओ, जो यश और सौभाग्यकी वृद्धि करनेवाला हो तथा जिससे श्यामसुन्दर सदा मेरे अधीन रहें”
vratacaryā tapo vāpi snāna-mantrauṣadhāni vā | vidyā-vīrya mūla-vīrya japa-homāgadās tathā ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: “Entah itu laku brata beserta tata-aturannya, tapa, mandi ritual, mantra, ramuan herbal, daya pengetahuan suci, kemanjuran akar-akaran, amalan japa dan homa, ataupun penawar—katakanlah kepadaku sesuatu di antaranya yang menambah kemasyhuran dan keberuntungan, dan yang membuat sang kekasih berkulit gelap itu senantiasa berada dalam pengaruhku.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the Mahābhārata’s view that human aims—fame, prosperity, and relational outcomes—are often sought through disciplined means (vrata, tapas, mantra, homa) as well as practical remedies (auṣadha). Ethically, it highlights the tension between legitimate self-cultivation and the desire to control another’s will, inviting reflection on dharma: power gained through ritual or knowledge should be governed by restraint and right intention.
In Vaiśaṃpāyana’s narration, a request is voiced to Pāñcāla-kumārī Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) to recommend some efficacious practice—vow, austerity, purification, mantra, herbal remedy, japa, or homa—that will increase fame and good fortune and ensure the continued attachment/obedience of the dark-hued beloved (Śyāmasundara/Kṛṣṇa).