Shloka 10

Viśvāmitra-janma: Ṛcīka–Satyavatī–Gādhi and the Charu Exchange (विश्वामित्र-जन्म: ऋचीक–सत्यवती–गाधि वृत्तान्तः)

Devanagari script

प्रत्याख्याय पुनर्यातमब्रवीद्‌ राजसत्तम: । शुल्कं॑ प्रदीयतां महां ततो वत्स्यसि मे सुताम्‌,उनके इनकार कर देनेपर जब महर्षि लौटने लगे तब नृपश्रेष्ठ गाधिने उनसे कहा --'महर्षे! मुझे शुल्क दीजिये, तब आप मेरी पुत्रीको विवाहद्वारा प्राप्त कर सकेंगे”

Transliteration

pratyākhyāya punaryātam abravīd rājasattamaḥ | śulkaṃ pradīyatāṃ mahān tato vatsyasi me sutām ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Als der Weise nach der Zurückweisung im Begriff war fortzugehen, rief ihn König Gādhi—der Vornehmste unter den Königen—an: „Zahle einen großen Brautpreis; dann sollst du meine Tochter zur Ehe erhalten.“

Word by Word

• प्रत्याख्याय: having refused / after rejecting
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रत्याख्या (धातु: ख्या) / प्रत्याख्यान (कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (अव्ययभाव), पूर्वकाल

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः
• Form: अव्यय

• यातम्: departing / gone (one)
• यातम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (गन्तुम् आरब्धम्/गतं—‘departing’)

• अब्रवीत्: said / spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• राजसत्तमः: the best of kings
• राजसत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसत्तम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शुल्कम्: bride-price / fee
• शुल्कम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्क
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रदीयताम्: let it be given / give (it)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः)

• महत्: great / large
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (शुल्कम् इति विशेषणम्)

• ततः: then / thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः
• Form: अव्यय

• वत्स्यसि: you will dwell / you will stay
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मे: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक रूप)

• सुताम्: daughter
• सुताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुता
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Gādhi
• a sage (unnamed in this verse)
• Gādhi's daughter (unnamed in this verse)
• śulka (bride-price)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds an ethical issue: when marriage is made conditional on a substantial śulka (bride-price), it can function as a social test of capability and commitment, yet it also risks reducing a sacred alliance to a transaction. It invites reflection on dharma in family decisions—how authority, custom, and moral propriety should be balanced.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the sage’s proposal/request is rejected and he starts to leave, King Gādhi calls out and sets a condition: the sage must pay a large śulka. Only then will the king allow the sage to marry his daughter.