Mahabharata 1.103.66 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 103, Shloka 66
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 103 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Gāndhārī Vivāha: Proposal, Consent, and the Vow
तयो: पाणी गृहीत्वा तु रूपयौवनदर्पित: । विचित्रवीर्यो धर्मात्मा कामात्मा समपद्यत,उन दोनोंका पाणिग्रहण करके रूप और यौवनके अभिमानसे भरे हुए धर्मात्मा विचित्रवीर्य कामात्मा बन गये
tayoḥ pāṇī gṛhītvā tu rūpa-yauvana-darpitaḥ | vicitravīryo dharmātmā kāmātmā samapadyata ||
அவ்விருவரின் கரங்களையும் திருமணத்தில் பற்றியபின், அழகும் இளமையும் தரும் அகந்தையால் மயங்கிய தர்மநெஞ்சன் விசித்ரவீரியன் காமவசப்பட்டான்.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical warning: dharma is not merely a label but a lived discipline. Pride in beauty and youth (rūpa-yauvana-darpa) can overpower a righteous temperament, turning one into a kāmātmā—someone led by desire—unless self-restraint is maintained.
After marrying the two princesses (contextually Ambikā and Ambālikā), King Vicitravīrya takes their hands in the formal act of marriage (pāṇigrahaṇa). Thereafter, he becomes absorbed in sensual enjoyment, driven by desire and vanity.
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