संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
सः कदाचित् वनं यातः यमुनां अभितः नदीं महीपतिः अनिर्देश्यं आजिघ्रत् गन्धं उत्तमम्saḥ kadācit vanaṃ yātaḥ yamunāṃ abhitaḥ nadīṃ mahīpatiḥ anirdeśyaṃ ājighrat gandhaṃ uttamamonce, having gone into the forest near the river Yamuna, the lord of the earth caught an inexplicable, exquisite fragrance
तस्य प्रभवं अन्विच्छन् विचचार समन्ततः सः ददर्श तदा कन्यां दाशानां देवरूपिणीम्tasya prabhavaṃ anvicchan vicacāra samantataḥ saḥ dadarśa tadā kanyāṃ dāśānāṃ devarūpiṇīmseeking its source, he wandered everywhere and then saw a maiden of the fisherfolk, godlike in form
तां अपृच्छत् सः दृष्ट्वा एव कन्यां असितलोचनां कस्य त्वं असि का च असि किं च भीरु चिकीर्षसिtāṃ apṛcchat saḥ dṛṣṭvā eva kanyāṃ asitalocanāṃ kasya tvaṃ asi kā ca asi kiṃ ca bhīru cikīrṣasino sooner had he seen that dark-eyed maiden than he asked her: 'Whose are you, and who are you, and what, O timid one, do you intend to do?'
सा अब्रवीत् दाशकन्या अस्मि धर्मार्थं वाहये तरीं पितुः नियोगात् भद्रं ते दाशराज्ञः महात्मनःsā abravīt dāśakanyā asmi dharmārthaṃ vāhaye tarīṃ pituḥ niyogāt bhadraṃ te dāśarājñaḥ mahātmanaḥshe said: 'I am a fisherman's daughter; for dharma's sake, I row the boat at my father's bidding — good fortune to you, O great-souled king of fishermen.'
रूपमाधुर्यगन्धैः तां संयुक्तां देवरूपिणीं समीक्ष्य राजा दाशेयीं कामयाम् आस शंतनुःrūpamādhuryagandhaiḥ tāṃ saṃyuktāṃ devarūpiṇīṃ samīkṣya rājā dāśeyīṃ kāmayām āsa śaṃtanuḥbeholding that fisherman's daughter, godlike in form, endowed with beauty, sweetness, and fragrance, King Shantanu desired her
सः गत्वा पितरं तस्याः वरयाम् आस तां तदा पर्यपृच्छत् ततः तस्याः पितरं च आत्मकारणात्saḥ gatvā pitaraṃ tasyāḥ varayām āsa tāṃ tadā paryapṛcchat tataḥ tasyāḥ pitaraṃ ca ātmakāraṇātcoming to her father, he then sought her hand in marriage and questioned her father further, for his own sake
सः च तं प्रत्युवाच इदं दाशराजः महीपतिं जातमात्रा एव मे देया वराय वरवर्णिनी हृदि कामः तु मे कश्चित् तं निबोध जनेश्वरsaḥ ca taṃ pratyuvāca idaṃ dāśarājaḥ mahīpatiṃ jātamātrā eva me deyā varāya varavarṇinī hṛdi kāmaḥ tu me kaścit taṃ nibodha janeśvaraand that king of fishermen answered the lord of the earth thus: 'My fair-faced daughter, from the moment she was born, was destined by me to be given to a worthy suitor; but there is a certain wish in my heart — learn it, O lord of men.'
यदि इमां धर्मपत्नीं त्वं मत्तः प्रार्थयसे अनघ सत्यवाक् असि सत्येन समयं कुरु मे ततःyadi imāṃ dharmapatnīṃ tvaṃ mattaḥ prārthayase anagha satyavāk asi satyena samayaṃ kuru me tataḥ'If you, O sinless one, ask her of me for your lawful wife, then, since you speak the truth, make a true compact with me.'
समयेन प्रदद्यां ते कन्यां अहम् इमां नृप न हि मे त्वत्समः कश्चित् वरः जातु भविष्यतिsamayena pradadyāṃ te kanyāṃ aham imāṃ nṛpa na hi me tvatsamaḥ kaścit varaḥ jātu bhaviṣyati'Upon that compact I would give you this maiden, O king; for I shall never have a suitor equal to you.'
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कदाkadāoriginal form "kadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चिद्cidoriginal form "cid", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यातोyātooriginal form "yāto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यमुनाम्yamunāmoriginal form "yamunām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अभितोabhitooriginal form "abhito", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नदीम्nadīmoriginal form "nadīm", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महीपतिर्mahīpatiroriginal form "mahīpatir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अनिर्देश्यम्anirdeśyamoriginal form "anirdeśyam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आजिघ्रद्ājighradoriginal form "ājighrad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गन्धम्gandhamoriginal form "gandham", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रभवम्prabhavamoriginal form "prabhavam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ताम्tāmoriginal form "tām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दृष्ट्वैवdṛṣṭvaivaoriginal form "dṛṣṭvaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कन्याम्kanyāmoriginal form "kanyām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
असितलोचनाम्asitalocanāmoriginal form "asitalocanām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वम्tvamoriginal form "tvam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चासिcāsioriginal form "cāsi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
साब्रवीद्sābravīdoriginal form "sābravīd", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दाशकन्यास्मिdāśakanyāsmioriginal form "dāśakanyāsmi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तरीम्tarīmoriginal form "tarīm", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पितुर्pituroriginal form "pitur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नियोगाद्niyogādoriginal form "niyogād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दाशराज्ञोdāśarājñooriginal form "dāśarājño", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रूपमाधुर्यगन्धैस्rūpamādhuryagandhaisoriginal form "rūpamādhuryagandhais", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवरूपिणीम्devarūpiṇīmoriginal form "devarūpiṇīm", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्याtasyāoriginal form "tasyā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततस्tatasoriginal form "tatas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चात्मकारणात्cātmakāraṇātoriginal form "cātmakāraṇāt", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रत्युवाचेदंpratyuvācedaṃoriginal form "pratyuvācedaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दाशराजोdāśarājooriginal form "dāśarājo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महीपतिम्mahīpatimoriginal form "mahīpatim", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जातमात्रैवjātamātraivaoriginal form "jātamātraiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कामस्kāmasoriginal form "kāmas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कश्kaśoriginal form "kaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चित्citoriginal form "cit", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यदीमांyadīmāṃoriginal form "yadīmāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽनघ'naghaoriginal form "'nagha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सत्यवाग्satyavāgoriginal form "satyavāg", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कन्याम्kanyāmoriginal form "kanyām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कश्kaśoriginal form "kaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चिद्cidoriginal form "cid", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वरोvarooriginal form "varo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here Shantanu meets Satyavati and seeks her hand, and her fisherman father sets a condition. It is telling that the maiden rows the boat "for dharma's sake" at her father's command: labor performed as duty and obedience is noble in any station of life. Here we see that worth lies not in rank but in fidelity to dharma: a king's daughter and a fisherman's daughter are equally honored when they live by duty. It is telling, too, that Shantanu, unlike his earlier ardor, now a mature man, is nonetheless captivated once again — and once more attraction to a wife will become the knot of his line's destiny. Here is a reminder of the power of kama: even a righteous and self-controlled king is not free from desire, and it again prepares a trial for him. And it is telling that the courtship proceeds as it should — through the father, in truth, with a compact: even in passion Shantanu keeps the dharma of marriage, neither abducting nor forcing her. Thus scripture shows that desire in itself is no sin when channeled into the course of dharma; the trouble is rather that the father's condition will set the king before an agonizing choice — one that only his son's sacrifice will resolve.