Shloka 16
Adhyāya 14: Sudēṣṇā Sends Sairandhrī to Kīcaka’s House (सुदेष्णा–सैरन्ध्री–कीचक संवादः)
लक्ष्मी: पद्मालया का त्वमथ भूति: सुमध्यमे । ह्वी: श्री: कीर्तिरथो कान्तिरासां का त्वं वरानने
lakṣmīḥ padmālayā kā tvam atha bhūtiḥ sumadhyame | hrīḥ śrīḥ kīrtir atho kāntir āsāṃ kā tvaṃ varānane ||
വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ഹേ സുമധ്യമേ! നീ ആരാണ്—പദ്മാലയയായ ലക്ഷ്മിയോ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മూర్తിമത്തായ ഭൂതിയോ? ഹേ വരാനനേ! ഹ്രീ, ശ്രീ, കീർത്തി, കാന്തി—ഈ ദേവിമാരിൽ നീ ഏതാണ്?
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how true excellence is perceived as a convergence of virtues—prosperity, modesty, splendor, good fame, and radiance—suggesting that ethical qualities (like hrī) are integral to what society recognizes as ‘fortune’ and ‘beauty,’ not merely external appearance.
A narrator’s voice (Vaiśampāyana) reports someone addressing an exceptionally impressive woman, so striking that she is compared to Lakṣmī and other personified virtues; the speaker asks which divine quality she embodies.