Shloka 38

Adhyāya 14: Sudēṣṇā Sends Sairandhrī to Kīcaka’s House (सुदेष्णा–सैरन्ध्री–कीचक संवादः)

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तस्तु सैरन्ध्रया कीचक: काममोहित: । जानन्नपि सुद्दुर्बुद्धि: परदाराभिमर्शने,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! सैरन्ध्रीके इस प्रकार समझानेपर भी कीचकको होश न हुआ। वह कामसे मोहित हो रहा था। यद्यपि उस दुर्वबुद्धिको यह मालूम था कि परायी स्त्रीके स्पर्शसे बहुत-से ऐसे दोष प्रकट होते हैं, जिनकी सब लोग निन्दा करते हैं तथा जिनके कारण प्राणोंसे भी हाथ धोना पड़ता है; तो भी उस अजितेन्द्रिय तथा अत्यन्त दुर्बुद्धिने द्रौपदीसे इस प्रकार कहा--

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca evam uktas tu sairandhryā kīcakaḥ kāma-mohitaḥ | jānann api su-durbuddhiḥ para-dārābhimarśane ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Walaupun telah dinasihati demikian oleh Sairandhrī, Kīcaka—dibutakan oleh nafsu—tidak juga sedar. Meskipun dia tahu bahawa menyentuh isteri orang lain menimbulkan banyak cela yang dikecam semua orang dan bahkan boleh membawa kepada kehilangan nyawa, lelaki yang tidak terkawal dan sangat sesat itu tetap berkata kepada Draupadī begini—”

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaishampayana

उवाचsaid/spoke

एवम्thus

उक्तःhaving been spoken to/addressed

तुbut/indeed

सैरन्ध्रयाby the Sairandhri (maidservant; Draupadi in disguise)

कीचकःKichaka

काममोहितःdeluded by desire

जानन्knowing

अपिeven/although

सुद्दुर्बुद्धिःvery evil-minded person

परदाराभिमर्शनेin (the act of) touching another's wife

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Sairandhrī (Draupadī)

Kīcaka

Draupadī

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Desire that overwhelms discernment leads to adharma: even when one knows the moral and social condemnation—and even mortal consequences—of violating another’s wife, lack of self-control and corrupted judgment can still drive wrongdoing. The verse underscores the necessity of indriya-nigraha (sense-restraint) and respect for marital and social dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Draupadī, disguised as the Sairandhrī in King Virāṭa’s palace, warns/rebukes Kīcaka. Yet Kīcaka, intoxicated by lust, ignores her counsel. The narrator notes that he knows the grave faults of approaching another man’s wife, but being unrestrained and foolish, he persists and continues speaking to her with improper intent.