Shloka 28
कल्माषपाद-शाप-कारणम्
Cause of Kalmāṣapāda’s Niyoga under a Curse
यत्र विख्यातकीर्ति: स कुरूणामृषभो5भवत् । स राजा मन्मथाविष्टस्तद्गतेनान्तरात्मना
yatra vikhyāta-kīrtiḥ sa kurūṇām ṛṣabho 'bhavat | sa rājā manmathāviṣṭas tad-gatenāntarātmanā ||
वसिष्ठ उवाच—तत्र स राजा विख्यातकीर्तिः कुरूणामृषभः कामवेगेनाभिभूतः, तपत्यां गतान्तःकरणो मनसा तामेव चिन्तयन् उपाविशत्।
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a celebrated and capable ruler can be inwardly overpowered by desire; the verse highlights the ethical need for self-mastery and the recognition that inner fixation (antarātmanā tad-gatena) can govern outward conduct.
Vasiṣṭha points out the place where King Saṃvaraṇa, famed among the Kurus, is sitting in a love-stricken state—mentally absorbed in Tapati—setting the stage for the ensuing resolution of their relationship.