Shloka 38
Śukra’s Ultimatum and Devayānī’s Demand (शुक्र-प्रतिज्ञा तथा देवयानी-वर-याचना)
यौवनेन चरन् कामान् युवा युवतिभि: सह । विहर्तुमहमिच्छामि साहां कुरुत पुत्रका:,'पुत्रो! मैं युवावस्थासे सम्पन्न हो जवानीके द्वारा कामोपभोग करते हुए युवतियोंके साथ विहार करना चाहता हूँ। तुम मेरी सहायता करो”
yauvanena caran kāmān yuvā yuvatibhiḥ saha | vihartum aham icchāmi sāhāṃ kuruta putrakāḥ ||
వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను—“పుత్రులారా, యౌవనంతో యుక్తుడై యువతులతో కలిసి విహరించి కామభోగములు అనుభవించదలచుకున్నాను. మీరు నాకు సహాయపడండి.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds kāma (desire/pleasure) as a motivating force in human life and hints at the ethical tension between personal enjoyment and the responsibilities and propriety expected within family and social order.
A speaker expresses a wish to enjoy youthful pleasures and to sport with young women, and he directly asks his sons to support or facilitate this desire, setting up a situation where family members are drawn into enabling a morally sensitive personal pursuit.