Shloka 32
Kuvalāśva’s Lineage and Uttaṅka’s Petition concerning Dhundhu (धुन्धु-प्रसङ्गः)
स तद् वाक्यमुपलभ्य व्यथितेन्द्रियमना: प्रोवाच प्रसीद राजन्नहमायुर्नाम मण्डूकराजो मम सा दुहिता सुशोभना नाम । तस्या हि दौ:शील्यमेतद् बहवस्तया राजानो विप्रलब्धा: पूर्वा इति,“राजाकी बात सुनकर मण्डूकराजका मन और इन्द्रियाँ व्यथित हो उठीं। वह बोला --“महाराज! प्रसन्न होइये। मेरा नाम आयु है। मैं मेढकोंका राजा हूँ। जिसे आप अपनी प्रियतमा कहते हैं, वह मेरी ही पुत्री है। उसका नाम सुशोभना है। वह आपको छोड़कर चली गयी, यह उसकी दुष्टता है। उसने पहले भी बहुत-से राजाओंको धोखा दिया है”
sa tad vākyam upalabhya vyathitendriya-manāḥ provāca—prasīda rājann aham āyur nāma maṇḍūka-rājo mama sā duhitā suśobhanā nāma | tasyā hi dauḥśīlyam etad bahavas tayā rājāno vipralabdhāḥ pūrvā iti ||
Hearing the king’s words, the frog-king—his mind and senses shaken—replied: “Be calm, O King. My name is Āyu; I am the king of frogs. The woman you call your beloved is my own daughter, named Suśobhanā. That she has left you is due to her ill conduct; she has deceived many kings before you as well.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical warning: outward charm does not guarantee good character. A ruler should exercise discernment and not be blinded by attachment; repeated deception is presented as a sign of entrenched misconduct (dauḥśīlya).
Vaiśampāyana narrates that the frog-king, Āyu, responds to a king’s complaint. He identifies the king’s beloved as his daughter Suśobhanā and explains that her departure is due to her bad conduct, adding that she has deceived many kings before.