SanskritIASTMeaning
तम् अब्रवीत् सत्य-धृतिःtam abravīt satya-dhṛtiḥto him said the one steadfast in truth,
सत्य-वाक् ऋषि-सत्तमःsatya-vāk ṛṣi-sattamaḥtruthful of speech, the best of sages:
परितुष्टः अस्मि ते राजन्parituṣṭaḥ asmi te rājan‘I am pleased with you, O king;
वरम् वरय सु-व्रतvaram varaya su-vratachoose a boon, O steadfast in your vows’;
ततः स-भार्यः प्रणतःtataḥ sa-bhāryaḥ praṇataḥthen, bowed down with his wives,
तम् उवाच बृहद्रथःtam uvāca bṛhadrathaḥBrihadratha said to him,
पुत्र-दर्शन-नैराश्यात्putra-darśana-nairāśyātfrom despair of seeing a son,
बाष्प-गद्गदया गिराbāṣpa-gadgadayā girāin a voice broken with tears:
भगवन् राज्यम् उत्सृज्यbhagavan rājyam utsṛjya‘O lord, having abandoned the kingdom,
प्रस्थितस्य तपः-वनम्prasthitasya tapaḥ-vanamready to depart for the forest of austerity,
किम् वरेण अल्प-भाग्यस्यkim vareṇa alpa-bhāgyasyawhat use is a boon to one of little fortune?
किम् राज्येन अप्रजस्य मेkim rājyena aprajasya mewhat use is the kingdom to me, who am childless?’
सत्यधृतिःsatyadhṛtiḥoriginal form “satyadhṛtiḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सत्यवाग्satyavāgoriginal form “satyavāg”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऋषिसत्तमःṛṣisattamaḥoriginal form “ṛṣisattamaḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परितुष्टोparituṣṭooriginal form “parituṣṭo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽस्मि'smioriginal form “'smi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वरंvaraṃoriginal form “varaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुव्रतsuvrataoriginal form “suvrata”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सभार्यःsabhāryaḥoriginal form “sabhāryaḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रणतस्praṇatasoriginal form “praṇatas”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुत्रदर्शननैराश्याद्putradarśananairāśyādoriginal form “putradarśananairāśyād”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बाष्पगद्गदयाbāṣpagadgadayāoriginal form “bāṣpagadgadayā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बृहद्रथbṛhadrathaoriginal form “bṛhadratha”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तपोवनम्tapovanamoriginal form “tapovanam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
किंkiṃoriginal form “kiṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वरेणाल्पभाग्यस्यvareṇālpabhāgyasyaoriginal form “vareṇālpabhāgyasya”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
किंkiṃoriginal form “kiṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राज्येनाप्रजस्यrājyenāprajasyaoriginal form “rājyenāprajasya”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here the king asks neither for riches nor for power — he only laments his childlessness. It is telling that amid every abundance his grief is about one thing alone: the continuation of his line and his duty to his ancestors. Thus the scripture shows how deep in a man is the thirst not for things but for meaning and succession; and next the sage grants a wondrous fruit.