Shloka 96

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

अरुन्धत्युवाच धरान्‌ धरित्रीं वसुधां भर्तुस्तिष्ठाम्यनन्तरम्‌ । मनो<नुरुन्धती भर्तुरिति मां विद्धयारुन्धतीम्‌

Transliteration

aruṇḍhaty uvāca dharān dharitrīṁ vasudhāṁ bhartus tiṣṭhāmy anantaram | mano'nuruṇḍhatī bhartur iti māṁ viddhy aruṇḍhatīm ||

Translation

অৰুন্ধতী ক’লে— হে যাতুধানী! মই মোৰ শক্তিৰে পৰ্বত, পৃথিৱী আৰু বসুধাক ধৰি ৰাখোঁ। মই মোৰ স্বামীৰ পৰা কেতিয়াও আঁতৰি নাথাকোঁ আৰু তেওঁৰ মনৰ অনুগামী হওঁ; সেয়েহে মোৰ নাম ‘অৰুন্ধতী’।

Word by Word

• {'aruṇḍhatī uvāca': 'Arundhatī said', 'dharān': 'mountains

• supports (lit. ‘bearers’)', 'dharitrīm': 'the Earth

• the bearer/supporter', 'vasudhām': 'the earth/world

• ‘possessor of wealth’ (a name of Earth)', 'bhartuḥ': 'of (my) husband/lord', 'tiṣṭhāmi': 'I stand

• I abide', 'anantaram': 'without interval

• not apart', 'manaḥ': 'mind

• disposition', 'anuruṇḍhatī': 'not obstructing

• harmonizing (fem. pres. part.)', 'iti': 'thus

• in this sense', 'mām': 'me', 'viddhi': 'know (imperative)', 'aruṇḍhatīm': 'Arundhatī (as a name explained by wordplay)'}

Speaker

विश्वामित्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arundhatī
• bhartā (husband)
• dharāḥ (mountains)
• dharitrī (Earth)
• vasudhā (Earth/world)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents Arundhatī as an exemplar of pativratā-dharma: steadfast companionship, loyalty, and harmonious alignment with one’s spouse, framed as an ethical ideal of constancy and supportive strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arundhatī speaks and explains her own name through wordplay: she ‘upholds’ the world and, in relation to her husband, she does not remain apart and does not obstruct his mind—hence she is called Arundhatī.