Shloka 14
Ādi-parva, Adhyāya 73: Devayānī–Śarmiṣṭhā Dispute, Confinement in the Well, and Yayāti’s Rescue
सा त्वं मम सकामस्य सकामा वरवर्णिनि । गान्धर्वेण विवाहेन भार्या भवितुमहसि,अतः सुन्दरी! मैं तुम्हें पानेके लिये इच्छुक हूँ। तुम भी मुझे पानेकी इच्छा रखकर गान्धर्व विवाहके द्वारा मेरी पत्नी बन जाओ
sā tvaṁ mama sakāmasya sakāmā varavarṇini | gāndharveṇa vivāhena bhāryā bhavitum arhasi ||
Duṣyanta sprach: „O Frau von schöner, heller Gestalt: Da ich dich begehre und du auch mich begehrst, sollst du durch eine Gāndharva-Ehe meine Gemahlin werden.“
दुष्यन्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds mutual desire and consent as the basis for a Gāndharva marriage, a recognized form of union in dharma literature. At the same time, it invites reflection on how personal desire (kāma) seeks legitimacy through accepted social categories, and how such choices may later be tested by duties, reputation, and familial or royal obligations.
King Duṣyanta directly proposes to Śakuntalā, stating that both desire each other and therefore she should become his wife through a Gāndharva marriage—an immediate union based on mutual consent rather than elaborate rites or prior family arrangement.