Shloka 71
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
दृष्टवैव स च तां धीमांश्नकमे चारुहासिनीम् । दिव्यां तां वासवीं कन्यां रम्भोरुं मुनिपुड़व:
dṛṣṭvaiva sa ca tāṃ dhīmān śyāmakāṃ cāru-hāsinīm | divyāṃ tāṃ vāsavīṃ kanyāṃ rambhoruṃ munipuṅgavaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Sebaik sahaja resi agung itu memandangnya—berkulit gelap, berwajah manis dengan senyuman memikat, dan bertungkai seindah pohon pisang—dia mengenalinya sebagai gadis bersinar yang berdarah keturunan langit. Terpukau oleh kecantikannya, Parāśara yang amat bijaksana menyatakan hasrat untuk bersatu dengannya.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical friction between a sage’s spiritual stature and human desire. It invites reflection on self-restraint (dama), responsible conduct of those in authority, and the moral importance of how desire is expressed and negotiated—especially when power asymmetry is present.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that the sage Parāśara sees a beautiful, dark-hued maiden with a captivating smile and describes her with conventional poetic epithets. Moved by attraction, he expresses the wish for sexual union with her, setting up the ensuing dialogue and events of this episode.