Shloka 2
अङ्गददूतवाक्यं लङ्काप्राकारभेदनं च
Angada’s Embassy and the Breach of Laṅkā’s Ramparts
कोटिकास्यवच: श्रुत्वा शैब्यं सौवीरको<ब्रवीत् । यदा वाचं व्याहरन्त्यामस्यां मे रमते मनः
koṭikāsyavacaḥ śrutvā śaibyaṃ sauvīrako 'bravīt | yadā vācaṃ vyāharantyām asyāṃ me ramate manaḥ ||
Hearing the words of Koṭikāsya, the king of Sauvīra addressed Śaibya: “Whenever she speaks in this manner, my mind takes delight in her words.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the psychological pull of pleasing speech and personal attachment: the speaker openly admits that his mind delights whenever “she” speaks. In ethical terms, it points to how attraction can shape judgment and motivate one’s actions, a recurring concern in the Mahābhārata’s reflections on self-control and discernment.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that after Koṭikāsya has spoken, the Sauvīra ruler responds by addressing Śaibya and confessing his delight in a woman’s manner of speaking—indicating an ongoing conversation where the woman’s words have a strong emotional influence on him.