Shloka 35
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
पुरोपवाहिनीं तस्य नदीं शुक्तिमतीं गिरि: । अरौत्सीच्चेतनायुक्त: कामात् कोलाहल: किल,उनकी राजधानीके समीप शुक्तिमती नदी बहती थी। एक समय कोलाहल नामक सचेतन पर्वतने कामवश उस दिव्यरूपधारिणी नदीको रोक लिया
puropavāhinīṁ tasya nadīṁ śuktimatīṁ giriḥ | arautsīc cetanāyuktaḥ kāmāt kolāhalaḥ kila ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Near his capital flowed the river Śuktimatī. It is said that once the mountain named Kolāhala—endowed with consciousness—out of desire obstructed that river, which had assumed a wondrous, divine form. The episode frames how unchecked kāma (desire) can violate the natural order and bring disturbance even to what should freely sustain a realm.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of kāma: when desire governs action, it can obstruct what is meant to flow freely and support life (symbolized by the river), disrupting social and natural order—an implicit call to restraint and dharma.
A river named Śuktimatī flows near the capital. A mountain called Kolāhala, described as sentient, becomes driven by desire and blocks the river’s course, setting up a mythic incident involving the river and the surrounding realm.