Mahabharata · 1.142.3–4
॥
Devanāgarī
कस्य त्वं सुरगर्भाभे का चासि वरवर्णिनि ॥
केन कार्येण सुश्रोणि कुतश् चागमनं तव ॥
यदि वास्य वनस्यासि देवता यदि वाप्सराः ॥
आचक्ष्व मम तत् सर्वं किमर्थं चेह तिष्ठसि ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kasya tvaṃ suragarbhābhe kā cāsi varavarṇini ||
kena kāryeṇa suśroṇi kutaś cāgamanaṃ tava ||
yadi vāsya vanasyāsi devatā yadi vāpsarāḥ ||
ācakṣva mama tat sarvaṃ kimarthaṃ ceha tiṣṭhasi ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कस्य त्वं सुरगर्भाभे का च असि वरवर्णिनिkasya tvaṃ suragarbhābhe kā ca asi varavarṇini"Whose are you, O one like a child of the gods, and who are you, O fair-hued one?
केन कार्येण सुश्रोणि कुतः च आगमनं तवkena kāryeṇa suśroṇi kutaḥ ca āgamanaṃ tavaFor what purpose, O fair-hipped one, and whence your coming?
यदि वा अस्य वनस्य असि देवता यदि वा अप्सराःyadi vā asya vanasya asi devatā yadi vā apsarāḥIf you are a deity of this forest, or an apsaras,
आचक्ष्व मम तत् सर्वं किमर्थं च इह तिष्ठसिācakṣva mama tat sarvaṃ kimarthaṃ ca iha tiṣṭhasitell me all that: why do you stand here?"
चासिcāsioriginal form "cāsi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुतश्kutaśoriginal form "kutaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चागमनंcāgamanaṃoriginal form "cāgamanaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वास्यvāsyaoriginal form "vāsya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वनस्यासिvanasyāsioriginal form "vanasyāsi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वाप्सराःvāpsarāḥoriginal form "vāpsarāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चेहcehaoriginal form "ceha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Kunti said: "Whose are you, O one like a child of the gods, and who are you, O fair-hued one? For what purpose, O fair-hipped one, and whence your coming? If you are a deity of this forest, or an apsaras, tell me all that: why do you stand here?"
Version
1ca3a42c7e13 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:09:57 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here Kunti's graciousness turns into a caring inquiry. It is telling that she is ready to take the stranger for a deity of the forest or an apsaras: Hidimba's beauty, born of love, revealed in her something exalted, and Kunti sees the good before the bad. A pure gaze tends to discern what is good in another: as the one who looks, so the thing seen. The verse shows that a question asked with kindness itself disposes toward a truthful answer; and Kunti's motherly care draws Hidimba into candor.