Shloka 28

चित्रसेन-समागमः / The Engagement with Citrasena and the Gandharvas

Devanagari script

अनर्म चापि हसित द्वारि स्थानमभीक्ष्णश: । अवस्करे चिरस्थानं निष्कुटेषु च वर्जये,“पतिके किये हुए परिहासके सिवा अन्य समयमें मैं नहीं हँसा करती, दरवाजेपर बार- बार नहीं खड़ी होती, जहाँ कूड़े-करकट फेंके जाते हों, ऐसे गंदे स्थानोंमें देरतक नहीं ठहरती और बगीचोंमें भी बहुत देरतक अकेली नहीं घूमती हूँ

Transliteration

anarma cāpi hasita dvāri sthānam abhīkṣṇaśaḥ | avaskare cirasthānaṃ niṣkuṭeṣu ca varjaye ||

Translation

पतीच्या परिहासाव्यतिरिक्त मी इतर वेळी हसत नाही. दारात वारंवार उभी राहत नाही. जिथे कचरा टाकला जातो अशा घाणेरड्या ठिकाणी फार वेळ थांबत नाही आणि एकांत बाग-उपवनांतही एकटीने फार वेळ फिरत नाही.

Word by Word

अनर्मimpropriety, unbecoming act

चand

अपिalso, even

हसितेin laughter; in (the act of) laughing

द्वारिat the door

स्थानम्standing, staying (a position)

अभीक्ष्णशःrepeatedly, again and again

अवस्करेin a refuse-place; at a rubbish heap

चिरस्थानम्long staying; lingering long

निष्कुटेषुin secluded spots / gardens / bowers

चand

वर्जयेI avoid, I shun

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

doorway (dvāra)

refuse/dump (avaskara)

secluded groves/garden-bowers (niṣkuṭa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes disciplined, reputation-protecting conduct: avoiding needless public display (loitering at doorways), avoiding impure places, and avoiding prolonged solitary roaming in secluded spots—framing self-restraint and propriety as aspects of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates a statement describing a woman’s code of behavior—how she regulates laughter, where she stands or lingers, and which places she avoids—presented as evidence of her modesty and careful adherence to accepted norms.