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

毗舍摩波耶那说：他为欲念所胜，匆匆装饰其身，尤为迷恋香料、饰物与花鬘——沉溺于感官的炫耀与放纵。

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.