Shloka 19

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 181 — Svayaṃvara Aftermath: Arjuna–Karna Exchange and Bhīma–Śalya Contest

Devanagari script

प्रेक्षन्त्या भक्षितो मेडद्य प्रियो भर्ता महायशा: । तस्मात्‌ त्वमपि दुर्बुद्धे मच्छापपरिविक्षत:,इस प्रकार ब्राह्मगी करुण विलाप करती हुई याचना कर रही थी, तो भी जैसे व्याप्र मनचाहे मृगको मारकर खा जाता है, उसी प्रकार राजाने अत्यन्त निर्दयीकी भाँति ब्राह्यणीके पतिको खा लिया। उस समय क्रोधसे पीड़ित हुई ब्राह्मणीके नेत्रोंसे धरतीपर आँसुओंकी जो बूँदें गिरी, वे सब प्रज्वलित अग्नि बन गयीं। उस अग्निने उस स्थानको जलाकर भस्म कर दिया। तदनन्तर पतिके वियोगसे व्यथित एवं शोकसंतप्त ब्राह्मणीने रोषमें भरकर राजर्षि कल्माषपादको शाप दिया--'ओ नीच! मेरी पतिविषयक कामना अभी पूर्ण नहीं हो पायी थी, तभी तूने अत्यन्त क्रूरकी भाँति मेरे देखते-देखते आज मेरे महायशस्वी प्रियतम पतिको अपना ग्रास बना लिया है; अतः दुर्बुद्धे! तू भी मेरे शापसे पीड़ित हुआ ऋतुकालमें पत्नीके साथ समागम करते ही तत्काल प्राण त्याग देगा। जिन महर्षि वसिष्ठके पुत्रोंका तुमने संहार किया है, उन्हींसे समागम करके तेरी पत्नी पुत्र पैदा करेगी। नृूपाधम! वही पुत्र तेरा वंश चलानेवाला होगा”

Transliteration

gandharva uvāca | prekṣantyā bhakṣito medadya priyo bhartā mahāyaśāḥ | tasmāt tvam api durbuddhe macchāpaparivikṣataḥ ||

Translation

The Gandharva said: “While she was looking on, her beloved husband—illustrious and renowned—was devoured today. Therefore, O evil-minded one, you too shall be afflicted by my curse.” In the surrounding narrative, this utterance frames the moral outrage at a ruler’s predatory cruelty: despite the Brahmin woman’s anguished pleas, the king consumes her husband like a beast seizing its chosen prey. Her grief turns into righteous wrath, and the curse becomes an ethical instrument—retribution for adharma and protection of the sanctity of a Brahmin household.

Word by Word

प्रेक्षन्त्याwhile (she) was looking on

भक्षितःwas eaten/devoured

मेof me / my

अद्यtoday

प्रियःdear/beloved

भर्ताhusband

महायशाःgreatly renowned

तस्मात्therefore / from that (reason)

त्वम्you

अपिalso/even

दुर्बुद्धेO evil-minded one

मत्my

शापcurse

परिविक्षतःafflicted/stricken (by)

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

Gandharva (speaker)

Brahmin woman (brāhmaṇī; in the prose context)

Her husband (brāhmaṇa-bhartā)

King Kalmāṣapāda (in the prose context)

Mahārṣi Vasiṣṭha (in the prose context)

Vasiṣṭha’s sons (in the prose context)

Curse (śāpa)

Fire arising from tears (in the prose context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s power does not excuse cruelty: violating dharma—especially harming the innocent and the Brahmin household—invites immediate moral and karmic retribution. The curse functions as a narrative mechanism to assert ethical order when worldly authority becomes predatory.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin woman witnesses her husband being devoured by the king (Kalmāṣapāda) despite her lament. Overwhelmed by grief and anger, she (and/or the supernatural voice here attributed to a Gandharva) pronounces a curse that the king will die upon approaching his wife in the fertile season; the broader episode also links the continuation of his lineage to Vasiṣṭha’s line.