Shloka 18

Devanagari script

एनं हि पर्युपासन्ते बहुधा वरयोषित: । क्रीडन्तमिव गन्धर्व देवकन्या: सहस्रश:,जैसे क्रीडा करते हुए गन्धर्वके साथ सहस्रों देवकन्याएँ होती हैं, उसी प्रकार इस विविंशतिकी सेवामें बहुत-सी सुन्दरी स्त्रियाँ रहा करती थीं

Transliteration

enaṁ hi paryupāsante bahudhā varayoṣitaḥ | krīḍantam iva gandharvaṁ devakanyāḥ sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

ವೈಶಂಪಾಯನನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ಅನೇಕ ವಿಧಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಸ್ತ್ರೀಯರು ಅವನನ್ನು ಸೇವಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಕ್ರೀಡಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಗಂಧರ್ವನ ಸುತ್ತ ಸಾವಿರಾರು ದೇವಕನ್ಯೆಯರು ಇರುವಂತೆ, ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ವಿವಿಂಶತಿಯ ಸೇವೆಯಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಅನೇಕ ಸುಂದರಿಯರು ಸದಾ ಇದ್ದರು.

Word by Word

एनम्him/this one

हिindeed/for

पर्युपासन्तेthey attend upon/serve

बहुधाin many ways/variously

वरयोषितःexcellent/choice women

क्रीडन्तम्playing

इवas if/like

गन्धर्वa Gandharva

देवकन्याःdivine maidens

सहस्रशःby the thousand/in thousands

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Gandharva

Devakanyāḥ (celestial maidens)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse is descriptive rather than prescriptive: it highlights the atmosphere of indulgent attendance and sensual splendor. In the ethical frame of the Strī-parvan, such imagery can function as a foil—reminding the listener how worldly pleasure and status can be overturned by the catastrophic consequences of adharma and war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a man being constantly attended by many beautiful women, comparing the scene to celestial maidens surrounding a Gandharva at play. It emphasizes the scale and glamour of his entourage and the manner of service rendered to him.