Shloka 18

अम्बोपाख्याने तापसानां विचारः तथा होत्रवाहनस्य उपदेशः

Ambā among ascetics; Hotravāhana directs her to Paraśurāma

Devanagari script

भजस्व मां विशालाक्ष स्वयं कन्यामुपस्थिताम्‌ । अनन्यपूर्वा राजेन्द्र त्वत्प्रसादाभिकड्क्षणीम्‌

Transliteration

bhajasva māṁ viśālākṣa svayaṁ kanyām upasthitām | ananyapūrvā rājendra tvatprasādābhikaṅkṣiṇīm ||

Translation

ভীষ্ম বললেন— “হে বিশালাক্ষ মহারাজ! স্বয়ং উপস্থিত এই কুমারীকে গ্রহণ করুন। আমি আগে কখনও অন্য কারও হইনি; আমি কেবল আপনার অনুগ্রহই কামনা করি। আমাকে ধর্মপত্নী রূপে গ্রহণ করুন।”

Word by Word

• भजस्व: accept/choose (me); take (me as wife)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज्
• Form: लोट्, आत्मनेपद, मध्यम, एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (वक्तृ-स्त्री), द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विशालाक्ष: O large-eyed one
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशालाक्ष
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: personally; of my own accord
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्

• कन्याम्: a maiden/virgin girl
• कन्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उपस्थिताम्: who has come/appeared (before you); present
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्था
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अनन्यपूर्वा: having no other before (i.e., not previously belonging to another man)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्यपूर्वा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• त्वत्प्रसादाभिकाङ्क्षिणीम्: desiring your favor/grace
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वत्प्रसादाभिकाङ्क्षिणी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• King (addressed as Viśālākṣa / Rājendra)
• the maiden (kanyā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dharma in marriage: a woman explicitly states her prior exclusivity (ananyapūrvā) and freely presents herself (svayam upasthitām), while the king is urged to respond with righteous acceptance and protection, aligning personal desire with social-ethical order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma quotes or conveys a maiden’s direct appeal to a king: she has come voluntarily, declares she has not accepted any other man before, and asks to be received as a lawful wife, seeking the king’s gracious consent.