Shloka 44
धृतराष्ट्र–संजय संवादः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Sañjaya on Arjuna’s Indraloka report and the political consequences
तद् प्रसीद न मामार्ता विसर्जयितुमरहसि । हृच्छयेन च संतप्तं भक्तां च भज मानद,पूर॒ुवंशके कितने ही पोते-नाती तपस्या करके यहाँ आते हैं और वे हम सब अप्सराओंके साथ रमण करते हैं। इसमें उनका कोई अपराध नहीं समझा जाता। मानद! मुझपर प्रसन्न होओ। मैं कामवेदनासे पीड़ित हूँ, मेरा त्याग न करो। मैं तुम्हारी भक्त हूँ और मदनाग्निसे दग्ध हो रही हूँ; अतः मुझे अंगीकार करो
tad prasīda na mām ārtā visrajayitum arhasi | hṛcchayena ca santaptaṃ bhaktāṃ ca bhaja mānada ||
“Therefore, be gracious. Do not abandon me in my distress. I am scorched by the torment within my heart; accept me, for I am devoted to you, O bestower of honor.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral-psychological tension: an emotional plea grounded in desire and devotion is used to persuade another person. In the broader Vana Parva ascetic setting, such pleas test restraint, discernment, and the ethical handling of consent and duty.
Within Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a woman—typically in this context an apsaras or seductress figure—implores a man addressed as “mānada” not to send her away. She claims distress and inner burning, and asks to be accepted as a devoted lover.