Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 11
Yayāti, Devayānī, Śarmiṣṭhā, and the Exchange of Youth: The Unsatisfied Nature of Desire
अहो निरीक्ष्यतामस्या दास्या: कर्म ह्यसाम्प्रतम् । अस्मद्धार्यं धृतवती शुनीव हविरध्वरे ॥ ११ ॥
aho nirīkṣyatām asyā dāsyāḥ karma hy asāmpratam asmad-dhāryaṁ dhṛtavatī śunīva havir adhvare
ああ、見よ、この侍女シャルミシュターの不作法を。礼儀を顧みず、私が着るべき衣を身につけたのだ――まるで供犠の場で捧げるべき澄ましバターを犬が奪うように。
FAQs
Devayānī protests that the maidservant Śarmiṣṭhā has behaved improperly by wearing Devayānī’s rightful garment/ornament, comparing it to a dog grabbing an oblation from a sacrifice.
She uses a sharp Vedic analogy: in a sacrifice, the offering is sacred and designated; similarly, Devayānī feels her personal property and status have been violated, so she condemns Śarmiṣṭhā’s act as shameless and irreverent.
It highlights how pride, status-consciousness, and harsh speech can inflame disputes—encouraging humility, restraint, and dharmic boundaries in relationships.