Shloka 41

ययाति-देवयानी-शर्मिष्ठा विवादः — Śukra’s Curse and the Disclosure of Lineage

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं विषादमापचन्नां मन्युना सम्प्रपीडिताम्‌ । वरचनैर्मधुरै: श्लक्षणै: सान्त्वयामास तां पिता,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! देवयानी इस प्रकार विषादमें ड्ूबकर क्रोध और ग्लानिसे अत्यन्त कष्ट पा रही थी, उस समय पिताने सुन्दर मधुर वचनोंद्वारा उसे समझाया

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: evaṃ viṣādam āpannāṃ manyunā samprapīḍitām | varacanaiḥ madhuraiḥ ślakṣṇaiḥ sāntvayāmāsa tāṃ pitā ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను—జనమేజయా! దేవయానీ ఈ విధంగా విషాదంలో మునిగి, కోపంతో తీవ్రంగా బాధపడుతున్నదని చూచి, ఆమె తండ్రి మృదువైన, మధురమైన, సుశ్రావ్యమైన మాటలతో ఆమెను సాంత్వనపరచెను.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaishampayana

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

विषादम्despondency, grief

आपचन्नाम्falling into, undergoing

मन्युनाby anger

सम्प्रपीडिताम्oppressed, tormented

वरचनैःwith excellent words

मधुरैःsweet

श्लक्षणैःgentle, soothing

सान्त्वयामासconsoled

ताम्her

पिताthe father

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Devayānī

Devayānī's father (Śukra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical response to intense emotion: when anger and despair overwhelm someone, a responsible elder should respond with gentle, well-judged speech (sāntvana) to calm the mind rather than inflame the situation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Devayānī is distressed and consumed by anger; at that moment her father (Śukra) speaks to her in sweet, soft, and appropriate words to console and steady her.