Shloka 17

Devaśarmā–Vipula Dialogue on Ahorātra–Ṛtu as Moral Witnesses (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४३)

Devanagari script

तस्या रूपेण सम्मत्ता देवगन्धर्वदानवा:

Transliteration

tasyā rūpeṇa sammattā devagandharvadānavāḥ

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“为她的美貌所迷，诸天、乾闼婆与檀那婆尽皆倾心——由此可见，外在形貌竟能撼动乃至高贵之众，并在此史诗的道德与社会秩序中化作一股强大的力量。”

Word by Word

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• रूपेण: by (her) beauty/form
• रूपेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सम्मत्ताः: enchanted/delighted
• सम्मत्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + मन् (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• देवगन्धर्वदानवाः: the gods, Gandharvas, and Danavas
• देवगन्धर्वदानवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + गन्धर्व + दानव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• a woman referred to as 'her' (tasyāḥ)
• Devas
• Gandharvas
• Dānavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.