Shloka 44

Devanagari script

सो<भ्यगच्छत यक्षेन्द्रमाहृत: पृथिवीपते । स्त्रीसरूपो महाराज तस्थौ व्रीडासमन्वित:,राजन! इस प्रकार बुलानेपर वह यक्ष कुबेरकी सेवामें गया। महाराज! वह स्त्रीस्वरूप धारण करनेके कारण लज्जामें डूबा हुआ उनके सामने खड़ा हो गया

Transliteration

so 'bhyagacchat yakṣendram āhṛtaḥ pṛthivīpate | strī-sarūpo mahārāja tasthau vrīḍā-samanvitaḥ ||

Translation

О великий царь! По призыву владыки земли он отправился к царю якшей — Кубере. Государь, приняв женский облик, он стоял перед ним, охваченный стыдом.

Word by Word

सःhe

अभ्यगच्छत्went towards/approached

यक्षेन्द्रम्the lord of Yakṣas (Kubera)

आहृतःhaving been summoned/brought

पृथिवीपतेO lord of the earth (king)

स्त्रीसरूपःin the form of a woman

महाराजO great king

तस्थौstood

व्रीडासमन्वितःendowed with shame; ashamed

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Kubera

Yakshas

Pṛthivīpati (the king addressed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical-psychological tension between external role (a compelled disguise) and internal dignity: even when acting under summons, one may feel shame if the adopted form conflicts with one’s self-conception, reminding rulers to consider the human cost of commands.

What is happening in the narrative?

A person, summoned by a king, approaches Kubera (lord of the Yakṣas). Because he has taken on a woman’s form, he stands before Kubera feeling embarrassed and ashamed.