वृषपर्वोवाच
यत् किं चिद् असुरेन्द्राणां विद्यते वसु भार्गव ॥
भुवि हस्तिगवाश्वं वा तस्य त्वं मम चेश्वरः ॥
शुक्र उवाच
यत् किं चिद् अस्ति द्रविणं दैत्येन्द्राणां महासुर ॥
तस्येश्वरो ऽस्मि यदि ते देवयानी प्रसाद्यताम् ॥
देवयान्य् उवाच
यदि त्वम् ईश्वरस् तात राज्ञो वित्तस्य भार्गव ॥
नाभिजानामि तत् ते ऽहं राजा तु वदतु स्वयम् ॥
वृषपर्वोवाच
यं कामम् अभिकामासि देवयानि शुचिस्मिते ॥
तत् ते ऽहं संप्रदास्यामि यदि चेद् अपि दुर्लभम् ॥
देवयान्य् उवाच
दासीं कन्यासहस्रेण शर्मिष्ठाम् अभिकामये ॥
अनु मां तत्र गच्छेत् सा यत्र दास्यति मे पिता ॥
वृषपर्वोवाच
उत्तिष्ठ हे संग्रहीत्रि शर्मिष्ठां शीघ्रम् आनय ॥
यं च कामयते कामं देवयानी करोतु तम् ॥
वैशंपायन उवाच
ततो धात्री तत्र गत्वा शर्मिष्ठां वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् ॥
उत्तिष्ठ भद्रे शर्मिष्ठे ज्ञातीनां सुखम् आवह ॥
त्यजति ब्राह्मणः शिष्यान् देवयान्या प्रचोदितः ॥
सा यं कामयते कामं स कार्यो ऽद्य त्वयानघे ॥
शर्मिष्ठोवाच
सा यं कामयते कामं करवाण्य् अहम् अद्य तम् ॥
मा त्व् एवापगमच् छुक्रो देवयानी च मत्कृते ॥
vṛṣaparvovāca
yat kiṃ cid asurendrāṇāṃ vidyate vasu bhārgava ||
bhuvi hastigavāśvaṃ vā tasya tvaṃ mama ceśvaraḥ ||
śukra uvāca
yat kiṃ cid asti draviṇaṃ daityendrāṇāṃ mahāsura ||
tasyeśvaro 'smi yadi te devayānī prasādyatām ||
devayāny uvāca
yadi tvam īśvaras tāta rājño vittasya bhārgava ||
nābhijānāmi tat te 'haṃ rājā tu vadatu svayam ||
vṛṣaparvovāca
yaṃ kāmam abhikāmāsi devayāni śucismite ||
tat te 'haṃ saṃpradāsyāmi yadi ced api durlabham ||
devayāny uvāca
dāsīṃ kanyāsahasreṇa śarmiṣṭhām abhikāmaye ||
anu māṃ tatra gacchet sā yatra dāsyati me pitā ||
vṛṣaparvovāca
uttiṣṭha he saṃgrahītri śarmiṣṭhāṃ śīghram ānaya ||
yaṃ ca kāmayate kāmaṃ devayānī karotu tam ||
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
tato dhātrī tatra gatvā śarmiṣṭhāṃ vākyam abravīt ||
uttiṣṭha bhadre śarmiṣṭhe jñātīnāṃ sukham āvaha ||
tyajati brāhmaṇaḥ śiṣyān devayānyā pracoditaḥ ||
sā yaṃ kāmayate kāmaṃ sa kāryo 'dya tvayānaghe ||
śarmiṣṭhovāca
sā yaṃ kāmayate kāmaṃ karavāṇy aham adya tam ||
mā tv evāpagamac chukro devayānī ca matkṛte ||
Vrishaparvan said: 'O Bhargava, whatever wealth the lords of the asuras possess on earth — elephants, cows, horses — over that you are lord, [as] also over me.' Shukra said: 'O great asura, [let] whatever wealth the lords of the daityas possess be [ruled] by me — [but only] if Devayani is appeased by you.' Devayani said: 'O father Bhargava, if you are lord of the king's wealth — that I do not understand; let the king himself say [what he will give me].' Vrishaparvan said: 'O bright-smiling Devayani, whatever desire you shall desire, that I shall grant you, even if it be hard to obtain.' Devayani said: 'I desire Sharmishtha together with a thousand maidens as my maidservant; let her follow me wherever my father shall give me [in marriage].' Vrishaparvan said: 'O attendant, rise, quickly bring Sharmishtha; whatever desire Devayani desires, let that be done.' Vaishampayana said: 'Then the nurse, having gone there, spoke this word to Sharmishtha: "O gracious Sharmishtha, rise, bring happiness to your kinsfolk. O sinless one, the brahmana, urged on by Devayani, is abandoning his disciples; whatever desire she desires, that must now be fulfilled by you." Sharmishtha said: "Whatever desire she desires, that I shall now fulfill; only let not Shukra and Devayani depart on my account."'
6803d902c0dd · published Jul 12, 2026, 3:49:50 PM UTC
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Here Devayani demands revenge — and the king yields. Notable is what she asks for: not wealth (which the king offers), but the humiliation of her rival — 'Sharmishtha together with a thousand maidens as a maidservant.' Here one sees how wounded pride seeks not compensation but retribution: Devayani wants the proud princess who insulted her to become her own maidservant. This is the bitter fruit of anger (against which Shukra had warned); and — as will unfold further — this demand will turn back against Devayani herself. But note also the greatness of Sharmishtha's sacrifice: to save her kin (her father and people, threatened with ruin without Shukra), the proud princess consents to servitude: 'only let not Shukra and Devayani depart on my account.' Here is an image of self-sacrifice for the common good: Sharmishtha subdues her pride and accepts humiliation so that her people not perish. Thus she who sinned through pride redeems it through humility; and — providentially — this servitude will lead her (as Devayani's maidservant) into the house of Yayati, where she will become the mother of Puru, forefather of the Bharatas. Thus greatness is born from humiliation.