Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.20.12
व्यक्तं राजन्यतनयां वेद्म्यहं त्वां सुमध्यमे ।
न हि चेत: पौरवाणामधर्मे रमते क्वचित् ॥ १२ ॥
vyaktaṁ rājanya-tanayāṁ
[vyaktam raajanya-tanayaam]
vedmy ahaṁ tvāṁ sumadhyame
[vedmy aham tvaam sumadhyame]
na hi cetaḥ pauravāṇām
[na hi chetah pauravaanaam]
adharme ramate kvacit
[adharme ramate kvachit]
Word-for-word
vyaktam
—
it appears
rājanya-tanayām
—
the daughter of a kṣatriya
vedmi
—
can realize
aham
—
I
tvām
—
your good self
su-madhyame
—
O most beautiful
na
—
not
hi
—
indeed
cetaḥ
—
the mind
pauravāṇām
—
of persons who have taken birth in the Pūru dynasty
adharme
—
in irreligion
ramate
—
enjoys
kvacit
—
at any time.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
vyaktaṁ rājanya-tanayāṁ
vyaktam
it appears
rājanya-tanayām
the daughter of a kṣatriya
vedmy ahaṁ tvāṁ sumadhyame
vedmi
can realize
aham
I
tvām
your good self
su-madhyame
O most beautiful
na hi cetaḥ pauravāṇām
na
not
hi
indeed
cetaḥ
the mind
pauravāṇām
of persons who have taken birth in the Pūru dynasty
adharme ramate kvacit
adharme
in irreligion
ramate
enjoys
kvacit
at any time.
O most beautiful one, it appears to my mind that you must be the daughter of a kṣatriya. Because I belong to the Pūru dynasty, my mind never endeavors to enjoy anything irreligiously.
Purport
Mahārāja Duṣmanta indirectly expressed his desire to marry Śakuntalā, for she appeared to his mind to be the daughter of some kṣatriya king.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
O beautiful woman! It appears that you must be the daughter of a kṣatriya. Because I belong to the Pūru dynasty, my mind never enjoys anything irreligiously.
It appears you are a kṣatriya’s daughter. Otherwise I would not be attracted to you.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Duṣmanta suspects she is a kṣatriya's daughter and reassures himself that, as a Pūru, he would never do anything irreligious. We tell ourselves we are incapable of certain wrongdoing the moment we are most about to do it.
Reflection Questions
- What dharmic identity am I currently invoking to license a borderline action?
- Where does 'I would never' actually mean 'I am about to'?
My note
Source: vedabase.io