Shloka 72
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
संगमं मम कल्याणि कुरुष्वेत्यभ्यभाषत । साब्रवीत् पश्य भगवन् पारावारे स्थितानूषीन्,और कहा--'कल्याणी! मेरे साथ संगम करो।” वह बोली--“भगवन्! देखिये, नदीके आर-पार दोनों तटोंपर बहुत-से ऋषि खड़े हैं
saṅgamaṃ mama kalyāṇi kuruṣvety abhyabhāṣata | sābravīt paśya bhagavan pārāvāre sthitān ṛṣīn |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: He addressed her, “Auspicious lady, unite with me.” She replied, “Revered sir, look—on both banks of the river, on this side and the far side, many sages are standing.” The moment frames a moral tension: personal desire is checked by the presence of witnesses and the demand for propriety (loka-lajja) and dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights restraint and propriety: even when desire is expressed, dharma is safeguarded by awareness of context, public accountability, and the presence of respected witnesses (the ṛṣis).
A man urges a woman to unite with him; she objects by pointing out that many sages are visibly standing on both banks of the river, implying that the act would be improper or shameful in public view.