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,'सुमध्यमे! तुम कमलोंमें निवास करनेवाली लक्ष्मी हो अथवा साकार विभूति? सुमुखि! लज्जा, श्री, कीर्ति और कान्ति--इन देवियोंमेंसे तुम कौन हो?
lakṣmīḥ padmālayā kā tvam atha bhūtiḥ sumadhyame | hrīḥ śrīḥ kīrtir atho kāntir āsāṃ kā tvaṃ varānane ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai yang berpinggang ramping, siapakah engkau? Adakah engkau Lakṣmī yang bersemayam di teratai, atau Bhūti—kemakmuran yang menjelma? Wahai yang berwajah elok—antara dewi-dewi ini, Hrī (malu/santun), Śrī (seri dan tuah), Kīrti (kemasyhuran), dan Kānti (cahaya pesona)—yang manakah engkau?”
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.