Shloka 18
मैत्रेयागमनम् — The Arrival of Maitreya and the Admonition to Duryodhana
मोमुहामानां तां तत्र जगृहुः पञ्च पाण्डवा: । इन्द्रियाणि प्रसक्तानि विषयेषु यथा रतिम्,उसे मूर्छित होती हुई देख पाँचों पाण्डवोंने सहारा देकर उसी तरह थाम लिया, जैसे विषयोंमें आसक्त हुई इन्द्रियाँ तत्सम्बन्धी अनुरक्तिको धारण किये रहती हैं
momuhāmānāṁ tāṁ tatra jagṛhuḥ pañca pāṇḍavāḥ | indriyāṇi prasaktāni viṣayeṣu yathā ratiṁ ||
Seeing her there fainting and overcome by bewilderment, the five Pāṇḍavas supported and held her up. They held her as firmly as the senses—when attached to their objects—retain and cling to the delight that arises from them.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a moral-psychological simile: just as senses, once attached to their objects, tenaciously hold on to pleasure, so too the Pāṇḍavas firmly support the fainting woman. It implicitly contrasts compassionate steadiness with the mind’s tendency to cling to sense-delight, inviting reflection on attachment and restraint.
A woman in the scene is seen to be fainting and confused; the five Pāṇḍavas step in and physically support her, holding her up so she does not collapse. The narrator (Vidura) highlights their action through a vivid comparison to the clinging nature of the senses toward pleasurable objects.