Shloka 69

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 103 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Gāndhārī Vivāha: Proposal, Consent, and the Vow

Devanagari script

सचाश्रचिरूपसदृशो देवतुल्यपराक्रम: । सर्वासामेव नारीणां चित्तप्रमथनो रह:,विचित्रवीर्यका रूप अश्विनीकुमारोंक समान था। वे देवताओंके समान पराक्रमी थे। एकान्तमें वे सभी नारियोंके मनको मोह लेनेकी शक्ति रखते थे

Transliteration

sa cāśrucirūpasadṛśo devatulyaparākramaḥ | sarvāsām eva nārīṇāṃ cittapramathano rahaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：他容貌俊美出众，勇力堪比诸天。于幽密之处，他有扰乱并摄取一切女子心神的力量——那种魅惑在隐秘中尤为强烈，因为欲望更易压倒克制与礼法。

Word by Word

सःhe

चand

अश्विनीकुमारयोःof the two Ashvin-kumāras

रूपसदृशःsimilar in appearance

देवतुल्यपराक्रमःhaving valor equal to the gods

सर्वासाम्of all

एवindeed/just

नारीणाम्of women

चित्तप्रमथनःone who agitates/steals the mind

रहःin secret; solitude

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

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 beauty and power can become ethically dangerous when joined with secrecy: private settings can weaken social and personal restraints, so dharma requires vigilance, self-control, and accountability in conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing a man’s extraordinary attractiveness and godlike valor, emphasizing that in secluded/private situations he could strongly captivate women’s minds—setting up the narrative consequences that such allure can produce.