नाहं भ्रातृवचो जातु कुर्यां क्रूरोपसंहितम् ॥
पतिस्नेहो ऽतिबलवान् न तथा भ्रातृसौहृदम् ॥
मुहूर्तम् इव तृप्तिश् च भवेद् भ्रातुर् ममैव च ॥
हतैर् एतैर् अहत्वा तु मोदिष्ये शाश्वतिः समाः ॥
सा कामरूपिणी रूपं कृत्वा मानुषम् उत्तमम् ॥
उपतस्थे महाबाहुं भीमसेनं शनैः शनैः ॥
विलज्जमानेव लता दिव्याभरणभूषिता ॥
स्मितपूर्वम् इदं वाक्यं भीमसेनम् अथाब्रवीत् ॥
nāhaṃ bhrātṛvaco jātu kuryāṃ krūropasaṃhitam ||
patisneho 'tibalavān na tathā bhrātṛsauhṛdam ||
muhūrtam iva tṛptiś ca bhaved bhrātur mamaiva ca ||
hatair etair ahatvā tu modiṣye śāśvatiḥ samāḥ ||
sā kāmarūpiṇī rūpaṃ kṛtvā mānuṣam uttamam ||
upatasthe mahābāhuṃ bhīmasenaṃ śanaiḥ śanaiḥ ||
vilajjamāneva latā divyābharaṇabhūṣitā ||
smitapūrvam idaṃ vākyaṃ bhīmasenam athābravīt ||
The rakshasi said: 'I will never carry out my brother's cruel word: love for a husband is stronger than affection for a brother. Satiation would last but a moment — for my brother and for me — were these to be killed; but not killing them, I shall rejoice for eternal years.' Vaishampayana said: 'She, who changes her form at will, having assumed a superb human form, adorned with divine ornaments, as if bashful, supple as a creeper, approached the mighty-armed Bhimasena little by little, and with a smile spoke this word to him.'
d82a72f0114a · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:03:09 PM UTC
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Here love conquers the predatory nature in the rakshasi. Telling is her reasoning: satiation by flesh is momentary, while love is eternal bliss; thus in her the discernment of higher and lower awakens. Here we see how attraction to the good elevates: for love of one who is worthy, the rakshasi renounces cruelty and even her own brother. Telling too is the transformation of her form: the inner change is mirrored outwardly — the predator assumes a beautiful, bashful human shape. Here it is shown that love ennobles both form and character: whoever is touched by attraction to what is pure is purified in turn. Thus scripture reveals that even a demonic nature, touched by love for the righteous, is transformed, preferring eternal good to momentary gratification.