Shloka 5

Devanagari script

निर्दिश्यमानेषु तु सा वरेषु वरवर्णिनी | वरानुत्क्रम्य सर्वास्तान्‌ वरं वृतवती वनम्‌,उस समय जब माधवीको वहाँ आये हुए वरोंका परिचय दिया जाने लगा, तब उस वरवर्णिनी कन्‍्याने सारे वरोंको छोड़कर तपोवनका ही वररूपमें वरण कर लिया

Transliteration

nirdiśyamāneṣu tu sā vareṣu varavarṇinī | varān utkramya sarvāṁs tān varaṁ vṛtavatī vanam |

Translation

那罗陀说道：当众求婚者被一一指示、介绍给她时，那位肤色皎洁的少女却越过众人，选择了林中苦行的道场——那座林苑精舍——作为自己的“新郎”，宁取苦行与出离，不取婚姻。

Word by Word

निर्दिश्यमानेषुwhile being pointed out/introduced

तुbut/indeed

साshe

वरेषुamong the suitors/boons

वरवर्णिनीthe fair-complexioned/beautiful one

वरान्the suitors

उत्क्रम्यhaving passed over/left aside

सर्वान्all

तान्those

वरम्as a choice/boon (as the chosen one)

वृतवतीchose/selected

वनम्the forest

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Mādhavī

suitors (varāḥ)

forest/hermitage (vana/tapovana)

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?

True agency and dharmic resolve may express itself as renunciation: the verse highlights a deliberate turning away from socially expected marriage toward an ascetic ideal, valuing inner discipline over external status.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the prospective bridegrooms are introduced, Mādhavī rejects them all and chooses the forest hermitage—symbolically taking the life of tapas as her preferred path.