Shloka 15

Devanagari script

रुक्मिण्यामस्य मूढस्य प्रार्थना55सीन्मुमूर्षत: । नचतां प्राप्तवान्‌ मूढ:ः शूद्रो वेदश्रुतीमिव,“अब यह मरना ही चाहता है। इस मूर्खने पहले रुक्मिणीके लिये उसके बन्धु- बान्धवोंसे याचना की थी, परंतु जैसे शूद्र वेदकी ऋचाओंको श्रवण नहीं कर सकता, उसी प्रकार इस अज्ञानीको वह प्राप्त न हो सकी'

Transliteration

rukmiṇyām asya mūḍhasya prārthanā cāsīn mumūrṣataḥ | na ca tāṁ prāptavān mūḍhaḥ śūdro vedaśrutīm iva ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Orang dungu itu seolah-olah mendambakan kematian. Dahulu dia pernah memohon kepada kaum kerabat Rukmiṇī tentang dirinya; namun si bodoh itu tidak memperolehnya—seumpama seorang Śūdra (menurut adat lama) terhalang daripada mendengar bacaan Veda.”

Word by Word

रुक्मिण्याम्in/for Rukmiṇī (as the object of desire/aim)

अस्यof this (man)

मूढस्यof the deluded/foolish one

प्रार्थनाrequest, entreaty

आसीत्was

मुमूर्षतःof one wishing to die

नnot

चand

ताम्her (Rukmiṇī)

प्राप्तवान्obtained, attained

मूढःthe fool

शूद्रःa Śūdra

वेदश्रुतीम्Vedic recitation/hearing (Vedic śruti)

इवlike, as

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Rukmiṇī

Śūdra

Veda

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Unchecked desire joined with delusion leads to self-destruction; the verse uses a culturally loaded simile (restriction from Vedic hearing) to stress that certain aims remain unattainable when pursued without rightful means, clarity, or dharmic grounding.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker reports that a deluded man, already inclined toward death, had earlier petitioned Rukmiṇī’s relatives for her hand (or access), but failed to obtain her; his failure is emphasized through a simile of being barred from Vedic recitation.