Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 9
Pūru-vaṁśa, Duṣmanta–Śakuntalā, and the Rise of Mahārāja Bharata
दुष्मन्तो मृगयां यात: कण्वाश्रमपदं गत: । तत्रासीनां स्वप्रभया मण्डयन्तीं रमामिव ॥ ८ ॥ विलोक्य सद्यो मुमुहे देवमायामिव स्त्रियम् । बभाषे तां वरारोहां भटै: कतिपयैर्वृत: ॥ ९ ॥
duṣmanto mṛgayāṁ yātaḥ kaṇvāśrama-padaṁ gataḥ tatrāsīnāṁ sva-prabhayā maṇḍayantīṁ ramām iva
Certa vez, o rei Duṣmanta foi caçar na floresta e, muito fatigado, aproximou-se da morada do sábio Kaṇva. Ali viu uma mulher de beleza suprema, semelhante à deusa Lakṣmī, sentada e adornando todo o āśrama com o seu próprio fulgor. Naturalmente atraído, o rei aproximou-se acompanhado de alguns soldados e falou com ela.
FAQs
This verse shows Duṣmanta becoming instantly bewildered, comparing the experience to being influenced by the Lord’s divine māyā—highlighting how powerful attraction can be and how it operates under higher arrangement.
As a king traveling on a hunt, Duṣmanta moved with attendants; upon seeing Śakuntalā at Kaṇva’s hermitage, he addressed her in that setting, marking the narrative beginning of their encounter.
It cautions that sudden fascination can cloud judgment; one should pause, reflect, and act with dharma and self-control rather than being driven by immediate infatuation.