Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 5
Paraśurāma, Kārtavīryārjuna, and the Kāmadhenu Offense
with Lunar-line Genealogy to Gādhi and Jamadagni
तस्य सत्यवतीं कन्यामृचीकोऽयाचत द्विज: । वरं विसदृशं मत्वा गाधिर्भार्गवमब्रवीत् ॥ ५ ॥ एकत: श्यामकर्णानां हयानां चन्द्रवर्चसाम् । सहस्रं दीयतां शुल्कं कन्याया: कुशिका वयम् ॥ ६ ॥
tasya satyavatīṁ kanyām ṛcīko ’yācata dvijaḥ varaṁ visadṛśaṁ matvā gādhir bhārgavam abravīt
King Gādhi had a daughter named Satyavatī, whom a brāhmaṇa sage named Ṛcīka requested from the King to be his wife. King Gādhi, however, regarded Ṛcīka as an unfit husband for his daughter, and therefore he told the brāhmaṇa, “My dear sir, I belong to the dynasty of Kuśa. Because we are aristocratic kṣatriyas, you have to give some dowry for my daughter. Therefore, bring at least one thousand horses, each as brilliant as moonshine and each having one black ear, whether right or left.”
The son of King Gādhi was Viśvāmitra, who was said to be a brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya combined. Viśvāmitra attained the status of a brahmarṣi, as explained later. From the marriage of Satyavatī with Ṛcīka Muni would come a son with the spirit of a kṣatriya. King Gādhi demanded that an uncommon request be fulfilled before the brāhmaṇa Ṛcīka could marry his daughter.
FAQs
This verse shows King Gādhi weighing the match as “unequal,” reflecting how marriage alliances were often evaluated through dharma, lineage, and social order—yet the narrative also sets up how divine destiny can unfold beyond ordinary calculations.
Because Ṛcīka was a brāhmaṇa sage and Satyavatī was a kṣatriya princess, Gādhi considered the groom ‘visadṛśa’ (unequal) and therefore responded with reservations.
It teaches that worldly assessments (status, suitability) may seem decisive, but one should also remain mindful of higher purpose and dharma, as providence can work through unexpected arrangements.