Mahabharata · 1.157.12–13
॥
Devanāgarī
प्रतिब्रुवन्तीम् एकं मे पतिं देहीति शंकरम् ॥
पुनर् एवाब्रवीद् देव इदं वचनम् उत्तमम् ॥
पञ्चकृत्वस् त्वया उक्तः पतिं देहीत्य् अहं पुनः ॥
देहम् अन्यं गतायास् ते यथोक्तं तद् भविष्यति ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
pratibruvantīm ekaṃ me patiṃ dehīti śaṃkaram ||
punar evābravīd deva idaṃ vacanam uttamam ||
pañcakṛtvas tvayā uktaḥ patiṃ dehīty ahaṃ punaḥ ||
deham anyaṃ gatāyās te yathoktaṃ tad bhaviṣyati ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
प्रतिब्रुवन्तीम् एकं मे पतिं देहि इति शंकरम्pratibruvantīm ekaṃ me patiṃ dehi iti śaṃkaram[to her,] objecting to Shankara: "give me one husband,"
पुनः एव अब्रवीत् देवः इदं वचनम् उत्तमम्punaḥ eva abravīt devaḥ idaṃ vacanam uttamamthe god again spoke this excellent word:
पञ्चकृत्वः त्वया उक्तः पतिं देहि इति अहम् पुनःpañcakṛtvaḥ tvayā uktaḥ patiṃ dehi iti aham punaḥ"five times you said to me: 'give me a husband';
देहम् अन्यं गतायाः ते यथोक्तं तत् भविष्यतिdeham anyaṃ gatāyāḥ te yathoktaṃ tat bhaviṣyati[when] you pass into another body, as said, so it shall be";
देहीतिdehītioriginal form "dehīti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुनर्punaroriginal form "punar", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवाब्रवीद्evābravīdoriginal form "evābravīd", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवdevaoriginal form "deva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पञ्चकृत्वस्pañcakṛtvasoriginal form "pañcakṛtvas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देहीत्य्dehītyoriginal form "dehīty", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अहंahaṃoriginal form "ahaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गतायास्gatāyāsoriginal form "gatāyās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"When she objected to Shiva, saying: 'Give me one husband,' the god again spoke this excellent word: 'Five times you said to me: give me a husband; when you pass into another body, as said, so it shall be.'"
Version
fe6b00bf2f75 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:19:51 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here it is revealed that even a word spoken unwittingly binds. It is telling that the maiden asked for one husband, but, having repeated her plea five times, unwittingly asked for five: the word of prayer is effective in itself, and what is said carelessly comes true to the letter. Here is a warning about the power of speech: what is uttered before a god carries weight, and one must ask with discernment. Telling too is that fulfillment is deferred to another birth: the gift of the gods exceeds the bounds of a single life. Thus scripture shows that a word spoken in prayer is irrevocable; and from the maiden's fivefold plea will arise the extraordinary marriage of Draupadi.