वैशंपायन उवाच
ततः कन्यासहस्रेण वृता शिबिकया तदा ॥
पितुर् नियोगात् त्वरिता निश्चक्राम पुरोत्तमात् ॥
शर्मिष्ठोवाच
अहं कन्यासहस्रेण दासी ते परिचारिका ॥
अनु त्वां तत्र यास्यामि यत्र दास्यति ते पिता ॥
देवयान्य् उवाच
स्तुवतो दुहिता ते ऽहं बन्दिनः प्रतिगृह्णतः ॥
स्तूयमानस्य दुहिता कथं दासी भविष्यसि ॥
शर्मिष्ठोवाच
येन केन चिद् आर्तानां ज्ञातीनां सुखम् आवहेत् ॥
अतस् त्वाम् अनुयास्यामि यत्र दास्यति ते पिता ॥
वैशंपायन उवाच
प्रतिश्रुते दासभावे दुहित्रा वृषपर्वणः ॥
देवयानी नृपश्रेष्ठ पितरं वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् ॥
प्रविशामि पुरं तात तुष्टास्मि द्विजसत्तम ॥
अमोघं तव विज्ञानम् अस्ति विद्याबलं च ते ॥
एवम् उक्तो दुहित्रा स द्विजश्रेष्ठो महायशाः ॥
प्रविवेश पुरं हृष्टः पूजितः सर्वदानवैः ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
tataḥ kanyāsahasreṇa vṛtā śibikayā tadā ||
pitur niyogāt tvaritā niścakrāma purottamāt ||
śarmiṣṭhovāca
ahaṃ kanyāsahasreṇa dāsī te paricārikā ||
anu tvāṃ tatra yāsyāmi yatra dāsyati te pitā ||
devayāny uvāca
stuvato duhitā te 'haṃ bandinaḥ pratigṛhṇataḥ ||
stūyamānasya duhitā kathaṃ dāsī bhaviṣyasi ||
śarmiṣṭhovāca
yena kena cid ārtānāṃ jñātīnāṃ sukham āvahet ||
atas tvām anuyāsyāmi yatra dāsyati te pitā ||
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
pratiśrute dāsabhāve duhitrā vṛṣaparvaṇaḥ ||
devayānī nṛpaśreṣṭha pitaraṃ vākyam abravīt ||
praviśāmi puraṃ tāta tuṣṭāsmi dvijasattama ||
amoghaṃ tava vijñānam asti vidyābalaṃ ca te ||
evam ukto duhitrā sa dvijaśreṣṭho mahāyaśāḥ ||
praviveśa puraṃ hṛṣṭaḥ pūjitaḥ sarvadānavaiḥ ||
Vaishampayana said: 'Then Sharmishtha, surrounded by a thousand maidens, at her father's command, in haste, in a palanquin, went forth from the finest of cities. Sharmishtha said: "I, together with a thousand maidens, am your maidservant and attendant; wherever your father shall give you [in marriage], I shall follow you there." Devayani said: "I am the daughter of one who is praised; you are the daughter of one who praises, [like] a bard receiving [gifts]; how then will you become [my] maidservant?" Sharmishtha said: "By whatever means, happiness must be brought to afflicted kinsfolk; therefore I shall follow you wherever your father shall give you."' Vaishampayana said: 'When the daughter of Vrishaparvan had promised her state of servitude, Devayani spoke this word to her father: "O best of the twice-born, father, [now] I shall enter the city; I am content; your knowledge is never in vain, and [great] is the power of your learning." Thus addressed by his daughter, that most glorious one, best of the twice-born, joyful, honored by all the danavas, entered the city.'
ec967c1e18b5 · published Jul 12, 2026, 3:49:50 PM UTC
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Here Sharmishtha's humiliation is accomplished — and her nobility shows itself within that humiliation. Notable is that Devayani again stings her rival with her own former words ('you are the daughter of one who praises'), gloating over her; so pride, having triumphed, does not miss the chance to wound. But even more notable is Sharmishtha's reply: 'by whatever means, happiness must be brought to afflicted kinsfolk.' Here is the height of true dignity: Sharmishtha, though she has become a maidservant, is not humbled in spirit; her humility is not servile submission but a conscious sacrifice for the good of others. She who once prided herself on her rank now shows true nobility — not in pride, but in self-forgetting. Thus the text overturns the usual measures: proud Devayani, triumphing, becomes smaller; humbled Sharmishtha rises. And providence is already at work: this seeming defeat of Sharmishtha will become her elevation — as Devayani's maidservant she will enter the house of Yayati and bear Puru, from whom comes the line of the Bharatas; while the sons of proud Devayani (Yadu, Turvasu) do not inherit the chief throne. Thus 'the last shall be first': Sharmishtha's humility will bring her greater fruit than Devayani's pride.