ततस् तत् कारणं ज्ञात्वा कृत्स्नं चैवम् अशेषतः ॥
देवव्रतो महाबुद्धिः प्रययाव् अनुचिन्तयन् ॥
अभ्यगच्छत् तदैवाशु वृद्धामात्यं पितुर् हितम् ॥
तम् अपृच्छत् तदाभ्येत्य पितुस् तच् छोककारणम् ॥
तस्मै स कुरुमुख्याय यथावत् परिपृच्छते ॥
वरं शशंस कन्यां ताम् उद्दिश्य भरतर्षभ ॥
ततो देवव्रतो वृद्धैः क्षत्रियैः सहितस् तदा ॥
अभिगम्य दाशराजानं कन्यां वव्रे पितुः स्वयम् ॥
तं दाशः प्रतिजग्राह विधिवत् प्रतिपूज्य च ॥
अब्रवीच् चैनम् आसीनं राजसंसदि भारत ॥
त्वम् एव नाथः पर्याप्तः शंतनोः पुरुषर्षभ ॥
पुत्रः पुत्रवतां श्रेष्ठः किं नु वक्ष्यामि ते वचः ॥
को हि संबन्धकं श्लाघ्यम् ईप्सितं यौनम् ईदृशम् ॥
अतिक्रामन् न तप्येत साक्षाद् अपि शतक्रतुः ॥
अपत्यं चैतद् आर्यस्य यो युष्माकं समो गुणैः ॥
यस्य शुक्रात् सत्यवती प्रादुर्भूता यशस्विनी ॥
तेन मे बहुशस् तात पिता ते परिकीर्तितः ॥
अर्हः सत्यवतीं वोढुं सर्वराजसु भारत ॥
असितो ह्य् अपि देवर्षिः प्रत्याख्यातः पुरा मया ॥
सत्यवत्या भृशं ह्य् अर्थी स आसीद् ऋषिसत्तमः ॥
कन्यापितृत्वात् किं चित् तु वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ॥
बलवत् सपत्नताम् अत्र दोषं पश्यामि केवलम् ॥
यस्य हि त्वं सपत्नः स्या गन्धर्वस्यासुरस्य वा ॥
न स जातु सुखं जीवेत् त्वयि क्रुद्धे परंतप ॥
एतावान् अत्र दोषो हि नान्यः कश् चन पार्थिव ॥
एतज् जानीहि भद्रं ते दानादाने परंतप ॥
tatas tat kāraṇaṃ jñātvā kṛtsnaṃ caivam aśeṣataḥ ||
devavrato mahābuddhiḥ prayayāv anucintayan ||
abhyagacchat tadaivāśu vṛddhāmātyaṃ pitur hitam ||
tam apṛcchat tadābhyetya pitus tac chokakāraṇam ||
tasmai sa kurumukhyāya yathāvat paripṛcchate ||
varaṃ śaśaṃsa kanyāṃ tām uddiśya bharatarṣabha ||
tato devavrato vṛddhaiḥ kṣatriyaiḥ sahitas tadā ||
abhigamya dāśarājānaṃ kanyāṃ vavre pituḥ svayam ||
taṃ dāśaḥ pratijagrāha vidhivat pratipūjya ca ||
abravīc cainam āsīnaṃ rājasaṃsadi bhārata ||
tvam eva nāthaḥ paryāptaḥ śaṃtanoḥ puruṣarṣabha ||
putraḥ putravatāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ kiṃ nu vakṣyāmi te vacaḥ ||
ko hi saṃbandhakaṃ ślāghyam īpsitaṃ yaunam īdṛśam ||
atikrāman na tapyeta sākṣād api śatakratuḥ ||
apatyaṃ caitad āryasya yo yuṣmākaṃ samo guṇaiḥ ||
yasya śukrāt satyavatī prādurbhūtā yaśasvinī ||
tena me bahuśas tāta pitā te parikīrtitaḥ ||
arhaḥ satyavatīṃ voḍhuṃ sarvarājasu bhārata ||
asito hy api devarṣiḥ pratyākhyātaḥ purā mayā ||
satyavatyā bhṛśaṃ hy arthī sa āsīd ṛṣisattamaḥ ||
kanyāpitṛtvāt kiṃ cit tu vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha ||
balavat sapatnatām atra doṣaṃ paśyāmi kevalam ||
yasya hi tvaṃ sapatnaḥ syā gandharvasyāsurasya vā ||
na sa jātu sukhaṃ jīvet tvayi kruddhe paraṃtapa ||
etāvān atra doṣo hi nānyaḥ kaś cana pārthiva ||
etaj jānīhi bhadraṃ te dānādāne paraṃtapa ||
Then, having learned that entire cause without remainder, Devavrata, of great wisdom, went away pondering, and at once hastened to the old counselor, his father's well-wisher; approaching him, he asked about the cause of his father's grief. To that chief of the Kurus, who questioned him properly, [the counselor] related the condition, referring to that maiden, O bull among the Bharatas. Then Devavrata, together with the elder kshatriyas, went to the king of the fishermen and himself asked for the maiden's hand on his father's behalf. The fisherman received him, honoring him duly, and said to him as he sat in the royal assembly, O Bharata: 'You alone are a worthy protector for the house of Shantanu, O bull among men, a son who is the best of all who have sons; what indeed shall I say to you? For who, having refused so praiseworthy and desirable a marriage alliance, would not regret it — even Shatakratu himself? And this maiden is the child of that noble one who equals you in virtues, from whose seed the illustrious Satyavati was born. By him, my son, your father has more than once been praised to me as worthy, among all kings, to take Satyavati as wife, O Bharata. For even the divine sage Asita was once refused by me; and that best of sages greatly desired Satyavati. As the father of the maiden, I shall say one thing, O bull among the Bharatas: the only flaw I see here lies in the fierce rivalry of future heirs. For he whose rival you became — be he a gandharva or an asura — could never live happily while you were angered, O scorcher of foes. This alone is the flaw here, and there is no other, O king; know this in the matter of giving and receiving the maiden — blessings on you, O scorcher of foes.'
7b5139698aa1 · publicado 12 jul 2026, 16:16:46 UTC
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Here Devavrata, having discerned the true cause, goes himself to ask for Satyavati's hand on his father's behalf. His perceptiveness and resolve stand out: without waiting for his father's admission, he learns the truth from the old counselor himself and takes it upon himself to remove the obstacle. This is the highest form of filial love — active self-sacrifice: not to console with words, but to remove by deed the cause of a father's grief, without any thought of one's own gain. It is notable, too, that he goes 'together with the elder kshatriyas,' by custom, with due honor: even in sacrificing himself, he acts within the bounds of dharma and propriety. The fisherman's honesty stands out as well: he names outright the single flaw — the danger of rivalry between his grandson and the mighty Devavrata, the rightful heir. Here is the wisdom of a farsighted father concerned for the future of his line, and here too the dramatic knot: this danger can be removed only by Devavrata's complete renunciation. Thus the text leads toward the greatest sacrifice: a son's love for his father will demand giving up not only the kingdom but the continuation of his own lineage.