Mahabharata 1.175.14 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 175, Shloka 14

पाण्डवानां पाञ्चालगमनम्

The Pāṇḍavas’ Journey toward Pāñcāla and News of the Svayaṃvara

Devanagari script

मण्डूकनेत्रां स्‍्वाकारां पीनोधसमनिन्दिताम्‌ | सुवालर्धि शड्कुकर्णा चारुशुज्रां मनोरमाम्‌

Transliteration

maṇḍūkanetrāṃ svākārāṃ pīnodhasamaninditām | suvāladhī śaṅkukarnāṃ cāruśṛṅgāṃ manoramām ||

Translation

คันธรรพกล่าวว่า “ดวงตาของนางดุจตากบ ทว่าเรือนกายได้สัดส่วนงดงาม เต้านมอิ่มเต็มและกว้างใหญ่ นางไร้ที่ติทุกประการ ด้วยหางงาม หูแหลม และเขาอันน่าชม นางจึงดูรื่นรมย์ยิ่งนัก”

Word by Word

• मण्डूकनेत्राम्: having frog-like eyes
• मण्डूकनेत्राम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मण्डूक-नेत्र
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• स्वाकाराम्: of beautiful/own (fine) form
• स्वाकाराम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व-आकार
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• पीन-ऊधः-समनिन्दिताम्: praiseworthy for her full udders
• पीन-ऊधः-समनिन्दिताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीन-ऊधस्-समनिन्दित
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सुवालधिम्: having a fine tail
• सुवालधिम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-वालधि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• शङ्कुकर्णाम्: having pointed (peg-like) ears
• शङ्कुकर्णाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शङ्कु-कर्ण
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• चारुशृङ्गाम्: having lovely horns
• चारुशृङ्गाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारु-शृङ्ग
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• मनोरमाम्: charming, delightful
• मनोरमाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोरम
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Gandharva
• cow (described object)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models careful discernment in speech: even when describing something as an object of desire or value, the speaker frames it in terms of qualities—blamelessness, completeness, and beauty—hinting that praise should be grounded in observable attributes rather than mere craving.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Gandharva is describing a particular cow in vivid detail—her eyes, form, udder, tail, ears, and horns—emphasizing that she is exceptionally attractive and worthy of admiration.