Shloka 22

सहदेवस्य गोसंख्य-तन्तिपाल-रूपेण विराट-समागमः | Sahadeva’s Audience with Virāṭa as Cattle-Enumerator

Tantipāla

Devanagari script

सुदेष्णोवाच मूर्थ्नि त्वां वासयेयं वै संशयो मे न विद्यते । न चेदिच्छति राजा त्वां गच्छेत्‌ सर्वेण चेतसा,सुदेष्णाने कहा--सुन्दरी! यदि मेरे मनमें संदेह न होता, तो मैं तुम्हें अपने सिर-माथे रख लेती। यदि राजा तुम्हें चाहने न लगें--सम्पूर्ण चित्तसे तुमपर आसक्त न हो जायेँ तो तुम्हें रखनेमें मुझे कोई आपत्ति न होगी

Transliteration

sudeṣṇovāca mūrdhni tvāṁ vāsayeyam vai saṁśayo me na vidyate | na ced icchati rājā tvāṁ gacchet sarveṇa cetasā ||

Translation

سُدیشنا نے کہا—“میں تمہیں اپنے سر آنکھوں پر رکھوں—اس میں مجھے کوئی شک نہیں۔ مگر اگر راجا تمہیں نہ چاہے، اگر اس کا سارا دل تم پر فریفتہ نہ ہو، تو پھر تمہارے یہاں رہنے میں مجھے کوئی رکاوٹ نہیں ہوگی۔”

Word by Word

• {'sudeṣṇā uvāca': 'Sudeṣṇā said', 'mūrdhni': 'on the head

• upon the crown (as a mark of highest honor)', 'tvām': 'you', 'vāsayeyam': 'I would cause (you) to dwell

• I would keep/house (you)', 'vai': 'indeed

• certainly', 'saṁśayaḥ': 'doubt

• apprehension', 'me': 'for me

• in my mind', 'na vidyate': 'does not exist

• is not present', 'na cet': 'if not

• unless', 'icchati': 'desires

• wishes', 'rājā': 'the king', 'gacchet': 'should go

• should become inclined', 'sarveṇa cetasā': 'with the whole mind

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sudeṣṇā
• the king (Virāṭa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Honor and hospitality must be balanced with prudence: Sudeṣṇā expresses willingness to protect and esteem the woman, yet recognizes the ethical risk if the king’s desire becomes involved, which could endanger propriety and safety within the palace.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Virāṭa court setting, Queen Sudeṣṇā speaks about keeping the woman (Draupadī in disguise) close. She says she would gladly keep her with great honor, but only if the king does not become wholeheartedly attracted to her—hinting at concern over royal desire and its consequences.