SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्याः सः भगवान् तुष्टः ताम् उवाच तपस्विनीम्tasyāḥ saḥ bhagavān tuṣṭaḥ tām uvāca tapasvinīmpleased with her, that lord said to the ascetic woman:
वरं वरय भद्रं ते वरदः अस्मि इति भामिनिvaraṃ varaya bhadraṃ te varadaḥ asmi iti bhāmini"choose a boon, blessings upon you, I am a giver of boons, O radiant one";
अथ ईश्वरम् उवाच इदं आत्मनः सा वचः हितम्atha īśvaram uvāca idaṃ ātmanaḥ sā vacaḥ hitamthen to the lord she spoke this word, for her own good,
पतिं सर्वगुणोपेतम् इच्छामि इति पुनः पुनःpatiṃ sarvaguṇopetam icchāmi iti punaḥ punaḥ"I wish for a husband endowed with every virtue" -- again and again;
ताम् अथ प्रत्युवाच इदं ईशानः वदतां वरःtām atha pratyuvāca idaṃ īśānaḥ vadatāṃ varaḥto her then replied this Ishana [Shiva], best of speakers:
पञ्च ते पतयः भद्रे भविष्यन्ति इति शंकरःpañca te patayaḥ bhadre bhaviṣyanti iti śaṃkaraḥ"five husbands, O blessed one, shall be yours" -- [said] Shankara;
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भगवांस्bhagavāṃsoriginal form "bhagavāṃs", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुष्टस्tuṣṭasoriginal form "tuṣṭas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वरदोvaradooriginal form "varado", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽस्मीति'smītioriginal form "'smīti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अथेश्वरम्atheśvaramoriginal form "atheśvaram", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उवाचेदम्uvācedamoriginal form "uvācedam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वचोvacooriginal form "vaco", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इच्छामीतिicchāmītioriginal form "icchāmīti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रत्युवाचेदम्pratyuvācedamoriginal form "pratyuvācedam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ईशानोīśānooriginal form "īśāno", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पतयोpatayooriginal form "patayo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भविष्यन्तीतिbhaviṣyantītioriginal form "bhaviṣyantīti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here the fervor of a prayer determines the measure of the gift granted. It is telling that the maiden repeats her plea "again and again": the ardor of her entreaty itself will decide what the god bestows upon her. Here it is seen that prayer is not spent in vain: a plea repeated is heard in its very repetition. Telling too is Shiva's answer -- not one but five husbands: the generosity of the gift exceeded the plea precisely through its insistence. Thus scripture shows that the words of prayer carry force and measure; and the maiden's many-times-repeated wish will be fulfilled exactly -- by five husbands, who will become the Pandavas.