Mahabharata · 1.160.38–39
॥
Devanāgarī
एवं तां स महीपालो बभाषे न तु सा तदा ॥
कामार्तं निर्जने ऽरण्ये प्रत्यभाषत किं चन ॥
ततो लालप्यमानस्य पार्थिवस्यायतेक्षणा ॥
सौदामिनीव साभ्रेषु तत्रैवान्तरधीयत ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
evaṃ tāṃ sa mahīpālo babhāṣe na tu sā tadā ||
kāmārtaṃ nirjane 'raṇye pratyabhāṣata kiṃ cana ||
tato lālapyamānasya pārthivasyāyatekṣaṇā ||
saudāminīva sābhreṣu tatraivāntaradhīyata ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवं तां सः महीपालः बभाषे न तु सा तदाevaṃ tāṃ saḥ mahīpālaḥ babhāṣe na tu sā tadāThus did that lord of earth speak to her, but she then,
कामार्तं निर्जने अरण्ये प्रत्यभाषत किं चनkāmārtaṃ nirjane araṇye pratyabhāṣata kiṃ canatormented by desire though he was, answered him nothing in the empty forest;
ततः लालप्यमानस्य पार्थिवस्य आयतेक्षणाtataḥ lālapyamānasya pārthivasya āyatekṣaṇāthen, as the king lamented, the long-eyed maiden,
सौदामिनी इव स-अभ्रेषु तत्र एव अन्तरधीयतsaudāminī iva sa-abhreṣu tatra eva antaradhīyatalike lightning amid the clouds, vanished on the spot;
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महीपालोmahīpālooriginal form "mahīpālo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽरण्ये'raṇyeoriginal form "'raṇye", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पार्थिवस्यायतेक्षणाpārthivasyāyatekṣaṇāoriginal form "pārthivasyāyatekṣaṇā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सौदामिनीवsaudāminīvaoriginal form "saudāminīva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
साभ्रेषुsābhreṣuoriginal form "sābhreṣu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्रैवान्तरधीयतtatraivāntaradhīyataoriginal form "tatraivāntaradhīyata", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Thus did that lord of earth speak to her, but she, though he was tormented by desire, answered him nothing in the empty forest. And then, as the king lamented, the long-eyed maiden, like lightning amid the clouds, vanished on the spot."
Version
e0707a5ad11e · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:19:51 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the longed-for one slips away at the very moment of being found. Notable is the comparison to lightning: she appears and vanishes -- the beautiful flashes forth and withdraws, never letting itself be grasped. Here appears the image of that elusiveness by which love both draws and tests: the desired one hides itself so as to kindle longing. Notable too is the maiden's silence: she answers passion not with a word but with disappearance. Thus the verse reveals the anguish of sudden separation; and the king, till now captivated by the vision, is now cast into yearning for her who has vanished.