Shloka 11
Āgnīdhra Meets Pūrvacitti and Begets the Nine Sons of Jambūdvīpa
किं सम्भृतं रुचिरयोर्द्विज शृङ्गयोस्तेमध्ये कृशो वहसि यत्र दृशि: श्रिता मे । पङ्कोऽरुण: सुरभीरात्मविषाण ईदृग्येनाश्रमं सुभग मे सुरभीकरोषि ॥ ११ ॥
kiṁ sambhṛtaṁ rucirayor dvija śṛṅgayos te madhye kṛśo vahasi yatra dṛśiḥ śritā me paṅko ’ruṇaḥ surabhīr ātma-viṣāṇa īdṛg yenāśramaṁ subhaga me surabhī-karoṣi
О двиджа, твоя талия тонка, и всё же ты с трудом несёшь два прекрасных «рога» — свои поднятые груди, к которым приковался мой взгляд. Чем они покрыты? На них нанесён благоуханный красный порошок, подобный заре восходящего солнца. О счастливица, откуда у тебя эта ароматная пыль, что наполняет благоуханием даже мой ашрам?
Āgnīdhra appreciated Pūrvacitti’s raised breasts. After seeing the girl’s breasts, he became almost mad. Nevertheless, he could not recognize whether Pūrvacitti was a boy or a girl, for as a result of his austerity he saw no distinction between the two. He therefore addressed her with the word dvija, “O brāhmaṇa. ” Yet why should a dvija, a brāhmaṇa boy, have horns on his chest? Because the boy’s waist was thin, Āgnīdhra thought, he was carrying the horns with great difficulty, and therefore they must be filled with something very valuable. Otherwise why would he carry them? When a woman’s waist is thin and her breasts are full, she looks very attractive. Āgnīdhra, his eyes attracted, contemplated the heavy breasts on the girl’s thin body and imagined how her back must sustain them. Āgnīdhra imagined that her raised breasts were two horns she had covered with cloth so that others would not see the valuables within them. Āgnīdhra, however, was very anxious to see them. Therefore he requested, “Please uncover them so that I can see what you are carrying. Rest assured that I shall not take it away. If you feel an inconvenience in removing the covering, I can help you; I myself can uncover them to see what valuable things those raised horns contain.” He was also surprised to see the red dust of perfumed kuṅkuma spread over her breasts. Nevertheless, still considering Pūrvacitti a boy, Āgnīdhra addressed her as subhaga, most fortunate muni. The boy must have been fortunate; otherwise how simply by standing there could he perfume Āgnīdhra’s entire āśrama?
FAQs
This verse shows Bharata’s mind and gaze becoming absorbed in the deer’s features, illustrating how even subtle affection can divert attention from exclusive remembrance of the Lord.
In the narrative, Bharata had developed tender attachment while caring for the fawn; his affectionate address reflects that growing emotional dependence, which becomes a cautionary example.
It reminds a practitioner to notice where attention becomes ‘fixed’ and to gently redirect the mind toward sādhana—keeping affection responsible and not allowing it to replace one’s primary spiritual goal.