SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः कस्मिन् चित् काले शुचिस्मिता देवयानी ययातिसहिता महावनं निर्जगामtataḥ kasmin cit kāle śucismitā devayānī yayātisahitā mahāvanaṃ nirjagāmaThen, at a certain time, the brightly-smiling Devayani went out into the great forest together with Yayati
तत्र देवरूपिणः कुमारान् सुविश्रब्धान् क्रीडमानान् ददर्श विस्मिता च इदं अब्रवीत्tatra devarūpiṇaḥ kumārān suviśrabdhān krīḍamānān dadarśa vismitā ca idaṃ abravītThere she saw godlike boys playing carefree, and, astonished, said this
राजन् एते देवपुत्रोपमाः शुभाः दारकाः कस्य वर्चसा रूपतः च मे तव सदृशाः मताःrājan ete devaputropamāḥ śubhāḥ dārakāḥ kasya varcasā rūpataḥ ca me tava sadṛśāḥ matāḥ"O king, whose are these fine boys, resembling the sons of gods? In splendor and form they seem to me like you"
एवं राजानं पृष्ट्वा कुमारान् पर्यपृच्छत पुत्रकाः वः पिता ब्राह्मणः किंनामधेयगोत्रः मे यथातथ्यं विब्रूतevaṃ rājānaṃ pṛṣṭvā kumārān paryapṛcchata putrakāḥ vaḥ pitā brāhmaṇaḥ kiṃnāmadheyagotraḥ me yathātathyaṃ vibrūtaHaving thus questioned the king, she questioned the boys: "O little sons, your father is a brahmin — of what name and lineage? Tell me truly"
ते प्रदेशिन्या तं एव नृपसत्तमं अदर्शयन् दारकाः शर्मिष्ठां मातरं च तस्य आचख्युःte pradeśinyā taṃ eva nṛpasattamaṃ adarśayan dārakāḥ śarmiṣṭhāṃ mātaraṃ ca tasya ācakhyuḥThose boys pointed with their finger at that best of kings [— Yayati], and the boys named Sharmishtha as their mother
इत्य् उक्त्वा ते सहिताः राजानं उपचक्रमुः राजा तान् देवयान्याः अन्तिके न अभ्यनन्दतity uktvā te sahitāḥ rājānaṃ upacakramuḥ rājā tān devayānyāḥ antike na abhyanandataHaving said this, they went together toward the king; but the king, in Devayani's presence, did not greet them
रुदन्तः ते बालकाः ततः शर्मिष्ठां अभ्ययुःrudantaḥ te bālakāḥ tataḥ śarmiṣṭhāṃ abhyayuḥWeeping, those children then ran to Sharmishtha
तेषां बालानां पार्थिवं प्रति प्रणयं दृष्ट्वा देवी तत्त्वतः बुद्ध्वा शर्मिष्ठां इदं अब्रवीत्teṣāṃ bālānāṃ pārthivaṃ prati praṇayaṃ dṛṣṭvā devī tattvataḥ buddhvā śarmiṣṭhāṃ idaṃ abravītSeeing the children's affection toward the king and grasping the truth of it, the lady [Devayani] said this to Sharmishtha
मदधीना सती कस्मात् मम विप्रियं अकार्षीः तं एव आसुरधर्मं आस्थिता त्वं किं न बिभेषिmadadhīnā satī kasmāt mama vipriyaṃ akārṣīḥ taṃ eva āsuradharmaṃ āsthitā tvaṃ kiṃ na bibheṣi"Being under my authority, why have you done something displeasing to me? Holding to that same demonic conduct, do you not fear [anything]?"
शर्मिष्ठा उवाच चारुहासिनि ऋषिः इति यत् उक्तं तत् सत्यं न्यायतः धर्मतः चरन्ती ते न बिभेमिśarmiṣṭhā uvāca cāruhāsini ṛṣiḥ iti yat uktaṃ tat satyaṃ nyāyataḥ dharmataḥ carantī te na bibhemiSharmishtha said: "O sweetly-smiling one, what was said — 'a sage' — was the truth; acting rightly and in accordance with dharma, I do not fear you"
यदा त्वया राजा वृतः तदा एव मया वृतः शोभने धर्मेण सखीभर्ता भर्ता भवतिyadā tvayā rājā vṛtaḥ tadā eva mayā vṛtaḥ śobhane dharmeṇa sakhībhartā bhartā bhavati"When you chose a king, then he was chosen by me as well; o gracious one, by dharma a friend's husband becomes her friend's husband too"
ब्राह्मणी त्वं ज्येष्ठा श्रेष्ठा च मम पूज्या मान्या असि त्वत्तः अपि राजर्षिः मे पूज्यतमः किं तत् न वेत्थbrāhmaṇī tvaṃ jyeṣṭhā śreṣṭhā ca mama pūjyā mānyā asi tvattaḥ api rājarṣiḥ me pūjyatamaḥ kiṃ tat na vettha"You, a brahmin woman, are elder and superior, and worthy of my worship and honor; but more than you, the royal sage is worthy of my worship — do you not know that?"
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कस्मिंश्kasmiṃśoriginal form "kasmiṃś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चिद्cidoriginal form "cid", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महावनम्mahāvanamoriginal form "mahāvanam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चेदम्cedamoriginal form "cedam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कस्यैतेkasyaiteoriginal form "kasyaite", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दारकाdārakāoriginal form "dārakā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजन्rājanoriginal form "rājan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रूपतश्rūpataśoriginal form "rūpataś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सदृशाsadṛśāoriginal form "sadṛśā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मतास्matāsoriginal form "matās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
किंनामधेयगोत्रोkiṃnāmadheyagotrooriginal form "kiṃnāmadheyagotro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुत्रकाputrakāoriginal form "putrakā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रोतुम्śrotumoriginal form "śrotum", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इच्छामिicchāmioriginal form "icchāmi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्य्hyoriginal form "hy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अहम्ahamoriginal form "aham", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽदर्शयन्'darśayanoriginal form "'darśayan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तम्tamoriginal form "tam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नृपसत्तमम्nṛpasattamamoriginal form "nṛpasattamam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्याचख्युश्tasyācakhyuśoriginal form "tasyācakhyuś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सहितास्sahitāsoriginal form "sahitās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजानम्rājānamoriginal form "rājānam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नाभ्यनन्दतnābhyanandataoriginal form "nābhyanandata", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवयान्यास्devayānyāsoriginal form "devayānyās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदान्तिकेtadāntikeoriginal form "tadāntike", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रुदन्तस्rudantasoriginal form "rudantas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽथ'thaoriginal form "'tha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शर्मिष्ठाम्śarmiṣṭhāmoriginal form "śarmiṣṭhām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अभ्ययुर्abhyayuroriginal form "abhyayur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बालकास्bālakāsoriginal form "bālakās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्त्वतोtattvatooriginal form "tattvato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शर्मिष्ठाम्śarmiṣṭhāmoriginal form "śarmiṣṭhām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इदम्idamoriginal form "idam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कस्माद्kasmādoriginal form "kasmād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अकार्षीर्akārṣīroriginal form "akārṣīr", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तम्tamoriginal form "tam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवासुरधर्मंevāsuradharmaṃoriginal form "evāsuradharmaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वम्tvamoriginal form "tvam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
किम्kimoriginal form "kim", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शर्मिष्ठोवाचśarmiṣṭhovācaoriginal form "śarmiṣṭhovāca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यद्yadoriginal form "yad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उक्तम्uktamoriginal form "uktam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऋषिर्ṛṣiroriginal form "ṛṣir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इत्य्ityoriginal form "ity", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
न्यायतोnyāyatooriginal form "nyāyato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मतश्dharmataśoriginal form "dharmataś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वृतोvṛtooriginal form "vṛto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वृतvṛtaoriginal form "vṛta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हिhioriginal form "hi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पूज्यासिpūjyāsioriginal form "pūjyāsi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वत्तोtvattooriginal form "tvatto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽपि'pioriginal form "'pi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पूज्यतमोpūjyatamooriginal form "pūjyatamo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here the truth comes out through the children — and a double untruth is exposed. It is telling that the truth is betrayed not by words but by children: “they pointed at the king and named Sharmishtha as their mother”; thus the innocence of children unmasks the concealment of adults. Here is a lesson: truth cannot be hidden for long; it surfaces on its own — through children's love for their father, through likeness of feature. Telling too is that Sharmishtha now no longer conceals but justifies herself: “'a sage' was the truth (the king is indeed a royal sage, a rajarshi); I acted according to dharma.” Here there is both a measure of truth (the king is indeed a rajarshi, and the union served the continuation of the line, in accordance with dharma) and a measure of cunning (deliberate concealment). And bitterly telling is Sharmishtha's argument: “a friend's husband is a husband to me too by dharma; and the king is more worthy of my worship than you.” Thus the servant, humble in appearance, proves defiant in substance — she claims the king on equal footing with her mistress. Here is a clash of two truths and two forms of pride; and — as what follows will show — the offended Devayani will carry her complaint to her father, and Shukra's wrath will fall upon the king. The lesson: half-truth and concealment breed discord no less than outright falsehood.