Shloka 18

Ādi-parva, Adhyāya 73: Devayānī–Śarmiṣṭhā Dispute, Confinement in the Well, and Yayāti’s Rescue

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमस्त्विति तां राजा प्रत्युवाचाविचारयन्‌ । अपि च वत्वां हि नेष्यामि नगरं स्वं शुचिस्मिते,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! शकुन्तलाकी यह बात सुनकर राजा दुष्यन्तने बिना कुछ सोचे-विचारे यह उत्तर दे दिया कि 'ऐसा ही होगा।” वे शकुन्तलासे बोले --शुचिस्मिते! मैं शीघ्र तुम्हें अपने नगरमें ले चलूँगा

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: evam astv iti tāṁ rājā pratyuvācāvicārayan | api ca vatvāṁ hi neṣyāmi nagaraṁ svaṁ śucismite ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Without pausing to deliberate, the king replied to her, “So be it.” And he added, “Indeed, having said this, I shall take you to my own city, O you of pure smile.”

Word by Word

• {'evam astu': '“Let it be so”

• an expression of assent/acceptance', 'iti': 'thus

• marking the end of quoted speech', 'tām': 'to her

• that (woman) (accusative singular feminine)', 'rājā': 'the king', 'pratyuvāca': 'replied

• answered in return', 'avicārayan': 'without deliberating

• not considering (carefully)', 'api ca': 'and moreover

• and further', 'vatvā': 'having said (so)

• after speaking', 'hi': 'indeed

• emphatic particle', 'neṣyāmi': 'I will lead/take (future of √nī)', 'nagaraṁ': 'city', 'svam': 'one’s own

• my own', 'śucismite': 'O (woman) of pure/bright smile (vocative)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• King Duṣyanta
• Śakuntalā
• the king’s city (nagara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s words carry moral force: assent (“evam astu”) and the promise to bring Śakuntalā to his city imply acceptance of responsibility and the duty to honor commitments, not merely private intention.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing Śakuntalā’s words, King Duṣyanta responds immediately—without deliberation—agreeing and stating that he will take her to his own city, signaling a move from a forest encounter toward public, social recognition.