Shloka 13
Adhyāya 96: Nārada Guides Mātali in Varuṇa’s Realm
Varuṇa-loka Darśana
गुणकेशीति विख्याता नाम्ना सा देवरूपिणी । श्रिया च वपुषा चैव स्त्रियो5न्या: सातिरिच्यते,वह देवरूपिणी कन्या गुणकेशीके नामसे प्रसिद्ध थी। गुणकेशी अपनी शोभा तथा सुन्दर शरीरकी दृष्टिसे उस समयकी सम्पूर्ण स्त्रियोंसे श्रेष्ठ थी
guṇakeśīti vikhyātā nāmnā sā devarūpiṇī | śriyā ca vapuṣā caiva striyo 'nyāḥ sātiricyate ||
กัณวะกล่าวว่า “ธิดาผู้งามดุจเทพนั้นมีนามเลื่องลือว่า ‘คุณเกศี’ ด้วยรัศมีสง่าและความงามแห่งสรีระ นางเหนือกว่าสตรีอื่นทั้งปวงในกาลนั้น”
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary qualities (śrī and vapuḥ) make a person stand out, while also framing beauty as an auspicious attribute (śrī) that can influence how a character is perceived within dharmic narrative.
Kaṇva introduces and describes a maiden named Guṇakeśī, emphasizing her divine appearance and her unmatched beauty among women of her time, setting her up as a significant figure in the unfolding account.