Shloka 32

सुरभि–इन्द्रसंवादः

Surabhi–Indra Dialogue as a Governance Exemplar

Devanagari script

विधिना सम्प्रणुदित: शापायास्य मनो दे | ततः स वार्युपस्पृश्य कोपसंरक्तलोचन: । मैत्रेयो धार्तराष्ट्र तमशपद्‌ दुष्टचेतसम्‌,विधातासे प्रेरित होकर उन्होंने दुर्योधनको शाप देनेका विचार किया। तदनन्तर मैत्रेयने क्रोधसे लाल आँखें करके जलका आचमन किया और उस दुष्ट चित्तवाले धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रको इस प्रकार शाप दिया--

Transliteration

vidhinā sampranuditaḥ śāpāyāsya mano dadhe | tataḥ sa vāry upaspṛśya kopasaṃraktalocanaḥ | maitreyo dhārtarāṣṭraṃ tam aśapad duṣṭacetasaṃ ||

Translation

Urged on by the ordinance of fate, he resolved in his mind to pronounce a curse. Then Maitreya, his eyes reddened with anger, performed the ritual sipping of water and cursed that Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son, Duryodhana, whose mind had turned to wickedness. The passage frames the curse not as mere personal wrath, but as a morally charged response to persistent wrongdoing, presented as aligned with a larger providential order.

Word by Word

• {'vidhinā': 'by fate

• according to the appointed order', 'sampranuditaḥ': 'impelled

• prompted', 'śāpāya': 'for (uttering) a curse

• to curse', 'mano dadhe': 'he set his mind

• he resolved', 'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'vāri / vāry': 'water', 'upaspṛśya': 'having touched (water)

• having performed ācamana/ritual sipping', 'kopa': 'anger', 'saṃrakta-locanaḥ': 'with eyes reddened (by emotion/anger)', 'maitreyaḥ': 'Maitreya (the sage)', 'dhārtarāṣṭram': 'the son/descendant of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (i.e., Duryodhana)', 'tam': 'him', 'aśapat': 'cursed', 'duṣṭa-cetasam': 'evil-minded

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Maitreya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Duryodhana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that persistent wicked intent invites morally consequential responses; even a sage’s curse is portrayed as operating within a larger order (vidhi), underscoring accountability and the ethical weight of one’s inner disposition (cetas).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Maitreya, prompted by providential order, decides to curse Duryodhana; he performs the ritual act of sipping/touching water (ācamana) and then pronounces the curse upon the evil-minded son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.