अकृतव्रण उवाच
कन्यकुब्जे महान् आसीत् पार्थिवः सुमहाबलः ॥
गाधीति विश्रुतो लोके वनवासं जगाम सः ॥
वने तु तस्य वसतः कन्या जज्ञे ऽप्सरःसमा ॥
ऋचीको भार्गवस् तां च वरयाम् आस भारत ॥
तम् उवाच ततो राजा ब्राह्मणं संशितव्रतम् ॥
उचितं नः कुले किं चित् पूर्वैर् यत् संप्रवर्तितम् ॥
एकतः श्यामकर्णानां पाण्डुराणां तरस्विनाम् ॥
सहस्रं वाजिनां शुल्कम् इति विद्धि द्विजोत्तम ॥
न चापि भगवान् वाच्यो दीयताम् इति भार्गव ॥
देया मे दुहिता चेयं त्वद्विधाय महात्मने ॥
ऋचीक उवाच
एकतःश्यामकर्णानां पाण्डुराणां तरस्विनाम् ॥
दास्याम्य् अश्वसहस्रं ते मम भार्या सुतास्तु ते ॥
अकृतव्रण उवाच
स तथेति प्रतिज्ञाय राजन् वरुणम् अब्रवीत् ॥
एकतःश्यामकर्णानां पाण्डुराणां तरस्विनाम् ॥
सहस्रं वाजिनाम् एकं शुल्कार्थं मे प्रदीयताम् ॥
तस्मै प्रादात् सहस्रं वै वाजिनां वरुणस् तदा ॥
तद् अश्वतीर्थं विख्यातम् उत्थिता यत्र ते हयाः ॥
गङ्गायां कन्यकुब्जे वै ददौ सत्यवतीं तदा ॥
ततो गाधिः सुतां तस्मै जन्याश् चासन् सुरास् तदा ॥
लब्ध्वा हयसहस्रं तु तांश् च दृष्ट्वा दिवौकसः ॥
धर्मेण लब्ध्वा तां भार्याम् ऋचीको द्विजसत्तमः ॥
यथाकामं यथाजोषं तया रेमे सुमध्यया ॥
akṛtavraṇa uvāca
kanyakubje mahān āsīt pārthivaḥ sumahābalaḥ ||
gādhīti viśruto loke vanavāsaṃ jagāma saḥ ||
vane tu tasya vasataḥ kanyā jajñe 'psaraḥsamā ||
ṛcīko bhārgavas tāṃ ca varayām āsa bhārata ||
tam uvāca tato rājā brāhmaṇaṃ saṃśitavratam ||
ucitaṃ naḥ kule kiṃ cit pūrvair yat saṃpravartitam ||
ekataḥ śyāmakarṇānāṃ pāṇḍurāṇāṃ tarasvinām ||
sahasraṃ vājināṃ śulkam iti viddhi dvijottama ||
na cāpi bhagavān vācyo dīyatām iti bhārgava ||
deyā me duhitā ceyaṃ tvadvidhāya mahātmane ||
ṛcīka uvāca
ekataḥśyāmakarṇānāṃ pāṇḍurāṇāṃ tarasvinām ||
dāsyāmy aśvasahasraṃ te mama bhāryā sutāstu te ||
akṛtavraṇa uvāca
sa tatheti pratijñāya rājan varuṇam abravīt ||
ekataḥśyāmakarṇānāṃ pāṇḍurāṇāṃ tarasvinām ||
sahasraṃ vājinām ekaṃ śulkārthaṃ me pradīyatām ||
tasmai prādāt sahasraṃ vai vājināṃ varuṇas tadā ||
tad aśvatīrthaṃ vikhyātam utthitā yatra te hayāḥ ||
gaṅgāyāṃ kanyakubje vai dadau satyavatīṃ tadā ||
tato gādhiḥ sutāṃ tasmai janyāś cāsan surās tadā ||
labdhvā hayasahasraṃ tu tāṃś ca dṛṣṭvā divaukasaḥ ||
dharmeṇa labdhvā tāṃ bhāryām ṛcīko dvijasattamaḥ ||
yathākāmaṃ yathājoṣaṃ tayā reme sumadhyayā ||
Akritavrana said: "In Kanyakubja there was a great and mighty king known in the world as Gadhi; he went to dwell in the forest. While he was living in the forest, a daughter was born to him, equal to an apsaras, O Bharata, and Bhargava Richika asked for her hand. Then the king said to the brahmin of stern vows: 'In our family there is a custom established by our forefathers. Know this, best of the twice-born: the bridal gift is a thousand swift white horses, each with one dark ear. But, Bhargava, it is not fitting to say to the blessed one, "Give." This daughter of mine deserves to be given to one as great as you.' Richika said: 'I will give you a thousand swift white horses with one dark ear; let your daughter become my wife.' Having thus promised, O king, he spoke to Varuna: 'Let a thousand swift white horses with one dark ear be given to me for the bridal gift.' Varuna then gave him a thousand horses; and the place where these horses arose became known as Ashvatirtha. At Kanyakubja on the Ganga, Gadhi gave him Satyavati, and the gods were present at the wedding. Having obtained this wife in accordance with dharma, Richika, best of the twice-born, delighted with her, slender-waisted, as much and as long as he wished."
726c6d35822d · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:02:54 PM UTC
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Richika obtains Satyavati not by force but by fulfilling a difficult condition. Here begins the line in which brahmanical power joins with royal lineage.