Shloka 16
Adhyāya 14: Sudēṣṇā Sends Sairandhrī to Kīcaka’s House (सुदेष्णा–सैरन्ध्री–कीचक संवादः)
लक्ष्मी: पद्मालया का त्वमथ भूति: सुमध्यमे । ह्वी: श्री: कीर्तिरथो कान्तिरासां का त्वं वरानने,'सुमध्यमे! तुम कमलोंमें निवास करनेवाली लक्ष्मी हो अथवा साकार विभूति? सुमुखि! लज्जा, श्री, कीर्ति और कान्ति--इन देवियोंमेंसे तुम कौन हो?
lakṣmīḥ padmālayā kā tvam atha bhūtiḥ sumadhyame | hrīḥ śrīḥ kīrtir atho kāntir āsāṃ kā tvaṃ varānane ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai yang berpinggang ramping, siapakah engkau? Apakah engkau Lakṣmī yang bersemayam di teratai, atau Bhūti, kemakmuran yang menjelma? Wahai wajah elok—di antara Hrī, Śrī, Kīrti, dan Kānti—engkau yang manakah?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how true excellence is perceived as a convergence of virtues—prosperity, modesty, splendor, good fame, and radiance—suggesting that ethical qualities (like hrī) are integral to what society recognizes as ‘fortune’ and ‘beauty,’ not merely external appearance.
A narrator’s voice (Vaiśampāyana) reports someone addressing an exceptionally impressive woman, so striking that she is compared to Lakṣmī and other personified virtues; the speaker asks which divine quality she embodies.