Mahabharata 3.46.10 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 46, Shloka 10
धृतराष्ट्र–संजय संवादः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Sañjaya on Arjuna’s Indraloka report and the political consequences
अधो भूधरविस्तीर्ण नितम्बोन्नतपीवरम् | मन्मथायतनं शुभ्र॑ं रसनादामभूषितम्
adho bhūdharavistīrṇa-nitambonnata-pīvaram | manmathāyatanaṃ śubhraṃ rasanādāmabhūṣitam ||
ನಾಭಿಯ ಕೆಳಗೆ ಅವಳ ನಿತಂಬಪ್ರದೇಶವು ಪರ್ವತಶ್ರೇಣಿಯಂತೆ ವಿಶಾಲವಾಗಿ—ಎತ್ತರವಾಗಿ, ತುಂಬಿದಂತೆ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮ ಸುಂದರ ವಸ್ತ್ರದಿಂದ ಆವೃತವಾಗಿ, ರಸನಾದಾಮ (ಕರ್ಧನಿ) ಸರಗಳಿಂದ ಅಲಂಕರಿತವಾಗಿ, ಅದು ಮದನನ ಪ್ರಕಾಶಮಯ ಮಂದಿರದಂತೆ ತೋರುತ್ತಿತ್ತು।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the potency of sensual attraction and implicitly points to the ethical need for restraint (dama) and vigilance: even those considered spiritually advanced can be disturbed by desire if they are not watchful.
Vaiśampāyana is describing a woman’s physical beauty—specifically the lower body and the ornamented waist/hips—using poetic imagery (mountain-like breadth; ‘shrine of Kāma’) to convey how intensely captivating it appears.
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