Shloka 61

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 103 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Gāndhārī Vivāha: Proposal, Consent, and the Vow

Devanagari script

मया सौभपति): पूर्व मनसा हि वृत: पति: । तेन चास्मि वृता पूर्वमेष कामश्न मे पितु:,“धर्मात्मन! मैंने पहलेसे ही मन-ही-मन सौभ नामक विमानके अधिपति राजा शाल्वको पतिरूपमें वरण कर लिया था। उन्होंने भी पूर्वकालमें मेरा वरण किया था। मेरे पिताजीकी भी यही इच्छा थी कि मेरा विवाह शाल्वके साथ हो

Transliteration

mayā saubhapatiḥ pūrvaṁ manasā hi vṛtaḥ patiḥ | tena cāsmi vṛtā pūrvam eṣa kāmaś ca me pituḥ ||

Translation

Sie sprach: „O du Dharmagerechter! Schon zuvor habe ich in meinem Herzen Śālva—den Herrn der luftigen Stadt Saubha—zum Gemahl erwählt. Und auch er hat mich einst erwählt. Dies war ebenso der Wunsch meines Vaters: dass meine Ehe mit Śālva geschlossen werde.“

Word by Word

मयाby me

सौभपतिःthe lord of Saubha (Śālva)

पूर्वम्formerly, earlier

मनसाwith (my) mind

हिindeed

वृतःchosen, selected

पतिःhusband

तेनby him / by that

चand

अस्मिI am

वृताchosen (by him)

पूर्वम्formerly

एषःthis

कामःdesire, wish

चalso/and

मेof me / my

पितुःof (my) father

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Śālva

Saubha

the father of the woman speaking (unnamed here)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the ethical weight of prior commitment: mutual choice (inner resolve) and parental approval are presented as morally significant grounds for a marriage claim, appealing to dharma in personal relationships.

What is happening in the narrative?

A woman asserts that she had already chosen Śālva as her husband in her mind, that Śālva had also chosen her earlier, and that her father likewise desired their marriage—strengthening her claim through mutual and familial consent.