Shloka 26
Sudeva Identifies Damayantī in Cedi (सुदेवेन दमयन्ती-परिचयः)
प्रविष्टा विकृताकारा कृत्वा रूपममानुषम् । तयेयं विहिता पूर्व माया परमदारुणा,दूसरे लोग जो अपने कुटुम्बीजनों और धनके विनाशसे दीन हो रहे थे, वे इस प्रकार कहने लगे--“आज हमारे विशाल जनसमूहके साथ वह जो उन्मत्त-जैसी दिखायी देनेवाली नारी आ गयी थी, वह विकराल आकारवाली राक्षसी थी तो भी अलौकिक सुन्दर रूप धारण करके हमारे दलमें घुस गयी थी। उसीने पहलेसे ही यह अत्यन्त भयंकर माया फैला रखी थी
bṛhadaśva uvāca | praviṣṭā vikṛtākārā kṛtvā rūpam amānuṣam | tayeyaṃ vihitā pūrvaṃ māyā paramadāruṇā ||
“ఆమె నిజరూపం వికృతమూ అమానుషమూ అయినా, దివ్యరూపం ధరించి మన మధ్య ప్రవేశించింది. ఈ అత్యంత దారుణమైన మాయను ముందే ఆమెనే ఏర్పరచింది.”
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical need for discernment (viveka): outward beauty or social acceptance can mask harmful intent. It warns that māyā—deliberate deception—can be planned in advance and can devastate communities if people rely only on appearances.
The speaker explains that a woman who appeared among the group was not what she seemed: despite a truly inhuman, distorted nature, she adopted an alluring guise and infiltrated them. The calamity they face is attributed to her pre-arranged, terrifying deception.