Shloka 40
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas
मन्यमान: स संकेतमागारं प्राविशच्च तत् । प्रविश्य च स तद् वेश्म तमसा संवृतं महत्,उस गृहको संकेत-स्थान मानकर उसने भीतर प्रवेश किया। वह विशाल भवन सब ओरसे अन्धकारसे आच्छन्न हो रहा था
manyamānaḥ sa saṅketam āgāraṁ prāviśac ca tat | praviśya ca sa tad veśma tamasā saṁvṛtaṁ mahat ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Menyangka itulah tempat pertemuan yang dipersetujui, dia pun memasuki rumah itu. Setelah masuk, dia mendapati rumah besar itu diselubungi kegelapan dari segala arah.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores prudence and discernment: when acting on assumptions (manyamānaḥ) in uncertain or concealed situations (tamasā saṁvṛtam), one must remain cautious, as appearances and agreed signals (saṅketa) can be ambiguous or risky.
A person, believing he has reached the prearranged meeting-place, enters a house; inside, the large mansion is enveloped in darkness, creating an atmosphere of secrecy and foreboding that signals a potentially dangerous or clandestine encounter.