Shloka 20

Devanagari script

गन्धाभरणमाल्येषु व्यासक्त: सविशेषत: । अलंचक्रे तदा55त्मानं सत्वर: काममोहितः,वह तो कामसे मोहित हो रहा था, अतः घर जाकर शीघ्र ही अपने-आपको (गहने- कपड़ोंसे) सजाने लगा। वह विशेषत: सुगन्धित पदार्थों, आभूषणों तथा मालाओंके सेवनमें संलग्न रहा

Transliteration

gandhābharaṇamālyeṣu vyāsaktaḥ saviśeṣataḥ | alaṃcakre tadātmānaṃ satvaraḥ kāmamohitaḥ ||

Translation

وہ کام کے فریب میں مبتلا تھا؛ چنانچہ گھر پہنچ کر فوراً اپنے آپ کو سنوارنے لگا۔ خاص طور پر خوشبوؤں، زیورات اور پھولوں کے ہاروں میں وہ حد درجہ منہمک ہو گیا۔

Word by Word

गन्धfragrances, perfumes

आभरणornaments, jewelry

माल्येषुin garlands

व्यासक्तःattached, engrossed

सविशेषतःespecially, in particular

अलञ्चक्रेadorned (himself)

तदाthen

आत्मानम्himself

सत्वरःhasty, quickly acting

काममोहितःdeluded by desire

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

perfumes (gandha)

ornaments/jewelry (ābharaṇa)

garlands (mālya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how kāma (desire) can produce moha (delusion), driving a person toward outward adornment and sensory indulgence; ethically, it points to the need for restraint and clarity rather than being led by attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a man, stirred by desire, hastily decorating himself and becoming particularly engrossed in perfumes, jewelry, and garlands—signaling infatuation and preoccupation with sensual presentation.