Shloka 64

Kirmīra-rākṣasa-saṃgamaḥ (Encounter and Slaying of Kirmīra) | किर्मीरेण सह भीमसेनसमागमः

Devanagari script

दासीभावेन मां भोक्तुमीषुस्ते मधुसूदन । जीवत्सु पाण्डुपुत्रेषु पज्चालेषु च वृष्णिषु,मधुसूदन! पाण्डवों, पांचालों और वृष्णिवंशी वीरोंके जीते-जी धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्रोंने दासीभावसे मेरा उपभोग करनेकी इच्छा प्रकट की

Transliteration

dāsībhāvena māṁ bhoktum īṣuḥ te madhusūdana | jīvatsu pāṇḍuputreṣu pāñcāleṣu ca vṛṣṇiṣu ||

Translation

மதுசூதனே! பாண்டுபுத்திரரும், பாஞ்சாலரும், வ்ருஷ்ணிவம்ச வீரரும் உயிருடன் இருக்கும்போதே த்ருதராஷ்டிரனின் புதல்வர்கள் என்னை அடிமைப் பெண்ணாகக் கொண்டு அனுபவிக்க விரும்பினர்.

Word by Word

दासीभावेनwith the attitude/state of a maidservant

माम्me

भोक्तुम्to enjoy/possess (sexually: to violate)

ईषुःthey desired/wished

तेto you

मधुसूदनO slayer of Madhu (Krishna)

जीवत्सुwhile (they are) living; in the living (ones)

पाण्डुपुत्रेषुamong the sons of Pandu (Pandavas)

पाञ्चालेषुamong the Panchalas

चand

वृष्णिषुamong the Vrishnis

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (Kauravas)

Pāṇḍuputras (Pāṇḍavas)

Pāñcālas

Vṛṣṇis

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 adharma as the will to degrade and exploit—especially the attempt to reduce a woman to servitude and ‘enjoy’ her as property. It implies that true strength and kingship are measured by restraint and protection of dignity, not by coercive domination.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a grievous intention of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons: they sought to treat the speaker (contextually a woman being dishonored) as a slave-woman, even though the Pāṇḍavas, the Pāñcālas, and the Vṛṣṇis—her rightful protectors and allies—were still alive and capable of responding.