Shloka 48
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्ता तु पार्थेन उर्वशी क्रोधमूर्च्छिता । वेपन्ती भ्रुकुटीवक्रा शशापाथ धनंजयम्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनके ऐसा कहनेपर उर्वशी क्रोधसे व्याकुल हो उठी। उसका शरीर काँपने लगा और भौंहें टेढ़ी हो गयीं। उसने अर्जुनको शाप देते हुए कहा
vaiśampāyana uvāca | evam uktā tu pārthena urvaśī krodha-mūrcchitā | vepantī bhru-kuṭī-vakrā śaśāpa atha dhanañjayam |
Vaiśampāyana said: When Urvaśī was thus addressed by Pārtha (Arjuna), she was overcome by a swoon of anger. Trembling, with her brows drawn into a crooked frown, she pronounced a curse upon Dhanañjaya. The episode underscores how uncontrolled passion—especially wounded pride—can turn even a celestial relationship into a moral crisis, and how a hero’s restraint may still invite retaliation from those ruled by anger.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of krodha (anger): when pride and desire are thwarted, anger can eclipse discernment and lead to harmful speech and actions (a curse). It also frames restraint as virtuous, even when it provokes backlash from those lacking self-mastery.
After Arjuna speaks to Urvaśī (in the preceding context), she becomes furious, trembles, frowns, and then proceeds to curse him. Vaiśampāyana narrates this to King Janamejaya.