Mahabharata 1.72.9 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 72, Shloka 9

कच-देवयानी संवादः

Kaca–Devayānī Dialogue and the Curse on Vidyā

Devanagari script

रममाणौ यथाकामं यथैकदिवसं तथा । (कामक्रोधावजितवान मुनिर्नित्यं क्षमान्वित: । चिरार्जितस्य तपस: क्षयं स कृतवानृषि: ।।

Transliteration

ramamāṇau yathākāmaṃ yathaikadivasaṃ tathā | (kāmakrodhāvajitavān munir nityaṃ kṣamānvitaḥ | cirārjitasya tapasaḥ kṣayaṃ sa kṛtavān ṛṣiḥ || tapasaḥ saṃkṣayād eva munir mohaṃ samāviśat | kāmarāgābhibhūtasya muneḥ pārśvaṃ jagāma sā ||) janayāmāsa sa munir menakāyāṃ śakuntalām ||

Translation

അവർ ഇരുവരും ഇഷ്ടാനുസരണം രമിച്ചു; ദിനങ്ങൾ ദിനങ്ങളായി കടന്നിട്ടും ഒരേ ദിനംപോലെ തോന്നി. ഒടുവിൽ ആ മുനി മേനകയിൽ ശകുന്തലയെ ജനിപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• जनयामास: begot / generated
• जनयामास: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (णिच्) + आस्
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (लिट्, परोक्षभूतार्थे), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मेनकायाम्: in/with Menakā
• मेनकायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेनका
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• शकुन्तलाम्: Śakuntalā
• शकुन्तलाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकुन्तला
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kaṇva
• Menakā
• Śakuntalā
• muni (the sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical warning: even long-cultivated ascetic merit (tapas) can diminish when vigilance and self-restraint lapse. As tapas wanes, moha (delusion) can arise, making one vulnerable to kāma-rāga (passion and attachment). The narrative frames self-control and sustained discipline as essential to preserving spiritual power and clarity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva narrates that the sage and Menakā spent time together in mutual enjoyment; this indulgence caused the sage’s accumulated austerity to decline. With the decline of tapas, delusion and passion overtook him, and Menakā approached him. From their union, Śakuntalā was born.