Mahabharata 1.78.5 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 78, Shloka 5
ययाति-देवयानी-शर्मिष्ठा विवादः — Śukra’s Curse and the Disclosure of Lineage
ततो जलात् समुत्तीर्य कन्यास्ता: सहितास्तदा । वस्त्राणि जगृहुस्तानि यथासन्नान्यनेकश:
tato jalāt samuttīrya kanyās tāḥ sahitās tadā | vastrāṇi jagṛhus tāni yathāsannāny anekaśaḥ ||
پھر وہ سب کنواریاں ایک ساتھ پانی سے نکل آئیں اور قریب رکھے ہوئے اپنے اپنے طرح طرح کے کپڑے اٹھانے لگیں۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Small lapses in awareness and etiquette in social settings can trigger disproportionate conflict; the episode foregrounds how carelessness (or perceived disrespect) becomes a moral and relational fault-line, setting in motion consequences that extend beyond the immediate moment.
After bathing, the group of maidens comes out of the water and retrieves the clothes left nearby. In the confusion, Śarmiṣṭhā mistakenly takes Devayānī’s garment, not realizing their clothes have been mixed—an incident that becomes the spark for their ensuing quarrel.
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