Canonical Ref: SL 66
Sanskrit (Devanāgarī)
विपञ्च्या गायन्ती विविधमपदानं पशुपतेः
त्वयारब्धे वक्तुं चलितशिरसा साधुवचने ।
तदीयैर्माधुर्यैरपलपिततन्त्रीकलरवां
निजां वीणां वाणी निचुलयति चोलेन निभृतम् ॥ ६६॥
त्वयारब्धे वक्तुं चलितशिरसा साधुवचने ।
तदीयैर्माधुर्यैरपलपिततन्त्रीकलरवां
निजां वीणां वाणी निचुलयति चोलेन निभृतम् ॥ ६६॥
English Scholarly Translation
Sarasvatī, singing the various deeds of Paśupati on her vīṇā, as soon as you
begin to speak — nodding her head in approval saying "bravo" — quietly hides her own vīṇā in her
garment, since your sweetnesses have silenced/put to shame its melodious string-sounds.
begin to speak — nodding her head in approval saying "bravo" — quietly hides her own vīṇā in her
garment, since your sweetnesses have silenced/put to shame its melodious string-sounds.
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Classical Exegesis
【Title: Sarasvatī Hides Her Vīṇā in Envy】
Apalapita (from apa-lap) means "denied, suppressed, made
to seem absent" — Sarasvatī's vīṇā strings are not broken but rendered inaudible, their sweet sounds
"denied" by the comparative sweetness of the Goddess's voice. The word nicuLayati (hides away,
wraps up) implies a deliberate concealment — Sarasvatī doesn't just stop playing, she physically wraps
her vīṇā in her garment so no one notices. The psychological precision here is remarkable: first she
applauds (sādhu-vacana), then she secretly hides her instrument. This is the behaviour of a
great artist who has just heard someone better and responds with both genuine admiration and private
humility — a beautiful portrait of artistic grace.
Padaccheda: विपञ्च्या · गायन्ती · विविधम् · अपदानम् · पशुपतेः · त्वया · आरब्धे · वक्तुम् · चलित-शिरसा
· साधुवचने · तदीयैः · माधुर्यैः · अपलपित-तन्त्री-कलरवाम् · निजाम् · वीणाम् · वाणी · निचुलयति · चोलेन ·
निभृतम्
Canonical CTS URN Reference
Saundaryalaharī, SL 66. Poorvam Open Research Engine (PORE) Corpus.