Mahabharata · 1.204.9–10
॥
Devanāgarī
ततस् तिलोत्तमा तत्र वने पुष्पाणि चिन्वती ॥
वेषम् आक्षिप्तम् आधाय रक्तेनैकेन वाससा ॥
नदीतीरेषु जातान् सा कर्णिकारान् विचिन्वती ॥
शनैर् जगाम तं देशं यत्रास्तां तौ महासुरौ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tatas tilottamā tatra vane puṣpāṇi cinvatī ||
veṣam ākṣiptam ādhāya raktenaikena vāsasā ||
nadītīreṣu jātān sā karṇikārān vicinvatī ||
śanair jagāma taṃ deśaṃ yatrāstāṃ tau mahāsurau ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः तिलोत्तमा तत्र वने पुष्पाणि चिन्वतीtataḥ tilottamā tatra vane puṣpāṇi cinvatīthen Tilottama, there in the forest, gathering flowers,
वेषम् आक्षिप्तम् आधाय रक्तेन एकेन वाससाveṣam ākṣiptam ādhāya raktena ekena vāsasāclad in a loosely draped garment -- a single red cloth,
नदीतीरेषु जातान् सा कर्णिकारान् विचिन्वतीnadītīreṣu jātān sā karṇikārān vicinvatīgathering karnikara blossoms grown along the riverbanks,
शनैः जगाम तं देशं यत्र आस्तां तौ महासुरौśanaiḥ jagāma taṃ deśaṃ yatra āstāṃ tau mahāsurauwalked slowly toward the place where those two great asuras were;
ततस्tatasoriginal form "tatas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रक्तेनैकेनraktenaikenaoriginal form "raktenaikena", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शनैर्śanairoriginal form "śanair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यत्रास्तांyatrāstāṃoriginal form "yatrāstāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Then Tilottama, there in the forest, gathering flowers, clad in a loosely draped garment -- a single red cloth -- gathering karnikara blossoms grown along the riverbanks, walked slowly toward the place where those two great asuras were."
Version
1a5f73169fef · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:01:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the lure appears as if by chance. It is significant that Tilottama comes as though merely gathering flowers: temptation acts all the more surely for seeming accidental. Here is seen the truth that even an instrument of providence clothes itself in simplicity, the better to achieve its aim. Thus the scripture shows the subtlety of the design; and the heedless asuras sense no trap.