Shloka 2
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 98 — Paraśurāma’s kṣatriya suppression; Dīrghatamas, Bali, Sudēṣṇā, and the birth of Aṅga
तस्य रूपगुणोपेता गड्जा स्त्रीरूपधारिणी | उत्तीर्य सलिलात् तस्माललोभनीयतमाकृति:,उस समय मनस्विनी गंगा सुन्दर रूप और उत्तम गुणोंसे युक्त युवती स्त्रीका रूप धारण करके जलसे निकलीं और स्वाध्यायमें लगे हुए राजर्षि प्रतीपके शाल-जैसे विशाल दाहिने ऊरु (जाँघ)-पर जा बैठीं। उस समय उनकी आकृति बड़ी लुभावनी थी; रूप देवांगनाओंके समान था और मुख अत्यन्त मनोहर था
tasya rūpaguṇopetā gaṅgā strīrūpadhāriṇī | uttīrya salilāt tasmāl alobhanīyatamākṛtiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Endowed with beauty and noble qualities, the river-goddess Gaṅgā assumed the form of a young woman. Rising up from the water, she appeared in an exceedingly captivating shape—her presence suggesting a divine allure as she approached the king-sage Pratīpa, setting the stage for a test of restraint and dharma in conduct toward the extraordinary and the unknown.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical demand of self-control: even when confronted with extraordinary beauty and attraction, a dharmic person is expected to respond with restraint, discernment, and propriety—especially in contexts involving the sacred or unknown.
Gaṅgā, personified as a goddess, emerges from the water in the form of a captivating young woman. This moment introduces her direct encounter with the king-sage Pratīpa, which will lead into the lineage narrative connected with the Kuru dynasty.