Shloka 6

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच सा वै शापपरित्रस्ता बहु चिन्तयती हृदा । मोहेनाभिपरीतड्री स्मयमाना पुन: पुनः

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca sā vai śāpaparitrastā bahu cintayatī hṛdā | mohena abhiparītadṛṣṭiḥ smayamānā punaḥ punaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Terrified by the curse, she pondered deeply within her heart. Yet, her judgment was overturned by delusion, and she kept smiling again and again—an outward sign of inner confusion in the face of moral consequence.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

साshe

वैindeed

शाप-परित्रस्ताterrified because of a curse

बहुmuch, greatly

चिन्तयतीwas thinking, pondering

हृदाwith (her) heart/mind

मोहेनthrough delusion

अभिपरीताङ्गीwith her limbs turned about/overcome (i.e., bewildered, disoriented)

स्मयमानाsmiling

पुनःagain

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

an unnamed woman (sā)

curse (śāpa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how fear of consequences (a curse) can coexist with delusion: even when one reflects inwardly, moha can distort judgment, producing incongruent behavior (repeated smiling). Ethically, it points to the need for clear discernment (viveka) when facing the results of one’s actions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a woman who has become terrified due to a curse. She is intensely thinking in her heart, but her perception is confused by delusion, and she keeps smiling repeatedly—suggesting mental turmoil and a loss of steady judgment at a critical moment.