Shloka 17
Devaśarmā–Vipula Dialogue on Ahorātra–Ṛtu as Moral Witnesses (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४३)
तस्या रूपेण सम्मत्ता देवगन्धर्वदानवा:
tasyā rūpeṇa sammattā devagandharvadānavāḥ
Wika ni Bhishma: “Nabighani sa kanyang kagandahan, ang mga deva, mga Gandharva, at mga Dānava ay pawang naakit—na nagpapakita kung paanong ang panlabas na anyo ay nakapagpapakilos maging sa mga dakilang nilalang, at nagiging isang makapangyarihang puwersa sa kaayusang moral at panlipunan ng salaysay.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the compelling power of external beauty and the ethical need for restraint: even lofty beings can be swayed by attraction, so dharma requires vigilance, self-mastery, and right discernment rather than being driven by infatuation.
Bhīṣma describes a woman whose beauty captivates multiple orders of beings—Devas, Gandharvas, and Dānavas—emphasizing her extraordinary allure and setting up the moral and social consequences that such fascination can trigger in the story.