Shloka 4
Kīcaka-vadha-pratisaṃjñā: Rumor in Matsya and the Kaurava Scouts’ Report (कीचकवध-प्रतिसंज्ञा)
यथारूपा च सैरन्ध्री गन्धर्वाश्न महाबला: । पुंसामिष्टश्ष विषयो मैथुनाय न संशय:,'सैरन्ध्रीका जैसा अप्रतिम रूप-सौन्दर्य है, वह सबको विदित ही है। उसके पति गन्धर्व भी बड़े बलवान हैं। पुरुषोंको मैथुनके लिये विषयभोग अभीष्ट है ही; इसमें संशय नहीं है
yathārūpā ca sairandhrī gandharvāś ca mahābalāḥ | puṁsām iṣṭaś ca viṣayo maithunāya na saṁśayaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Sairandhrī itu memang memiliki kecantikan luar biasa yang diketahui umum. Suami-suaminya yang bergelar Gandharva juga amat perkasa. Dan bagi lelaki, menikmati objek-objek indera—terutama dengan tujuan persetubuhan—memang menjadi keinginan yang wajar; tiada keraguan tentang hal itu.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral-psychological fact: sensual desire, especially sexual desire, commonly arises in men; therefore ethical restraint and respect for boundaries are crucial, particularly when confronted with beauty and perceived vulnerability.
Vaiśampāyana describes the Sairandhrī’s renowned beauty and notes that her (claimed) Gandharva husbands are very powerful, while also remarking on men’s inclination toward sexual enjoyment—setting the context for the danger of improper advances and the consequences that follow in the Virāṭa court episode.