Shloka 1

Satyavatī’s Disclosure and the Summoning of Vyāsa

Niyoga for Kuru Succession

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! राजा शान्तनुका मधुर मुसकानयुक्त मनोहर वचन सुनकर यशस्विनी गंगा उनकी एऐश्वर्य-वृद्धिके लिये उनके पास आयीं। तटपर विचरते हुए उन नृपश्रेष्ठको देखकर सती साध्वी गंगाको वसुओंको दिये हुए वचनका स्मरण हो आया। साथ ही राजा प्रतीपकी बात भी याद आ गयी। तब यही उपयुक्त समय है, ऐसा मानकर वसुओंको मिले हुए शापसे प्रेरित हो वे स्वयं संतानोत्पादनकी इच्छासे पृथ्वीपति महाराज शान्तनुके समीप चली आयीं और अपनी मधुर वाणीसे महाराजके मनको आनन्द प्रदान करती हुई बोलीं--'भूपाल! मैं आपकी महारानी बनूँगी एवं आपके अधीन रहूँगी

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca—janamejaya! rājā śāntanur madhura-musukāna-yuktaṃ manoharaṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā yaśasvinī gaṅgā tasya aiśvarya-vṛddhaye tasya samīpam ājagāma. taṭe vicarantaṃ taṃ nṛpa-śreṣṭhaṃ dṛṣṭvā satī sādhvī gaṅgā vasubhyo dattam vacanaṃ smṛtvā, sahaiva rāja-pratīpasya vacanam api smṛtim ānayat. atha “eṣa eva yuktakālaḥ” iti matvā, vasubhyaḥ prāpta-śāpa-preritā svayaṃ santānotpādana-icchayā pṛthivīpatiṃ mahārājaṃ śāntanuṃ samīpam upāgamat. sā madhurayā vāṇyā mahārājasya mana ānandayantī uvāca—“bhūpāla! ahaṃ tava mahārāṇī bhaviṣyāmi, tava adhīnā ca bhaviṣyāmi.”

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Janamejaya, when King Śāntanu heard those charming words spoken with a gentle smile, the illustrious Gaṅgā came to him to increase his royal fortune. Seeing that best of kings wandering along the riverbank, the virtuous and chaste Gaṅgā remembered the promise she had given to the Vasus, and she also recalled King Pratīpa’s words. Judging the moment fitting, and impelled by the curse that had fallen upon the Vasus, she approached the lord of the earth, Mahārāja Śāntanu, desiring to beget offspring. Delighting the king’s mind with her sweet speech, she said: ‘O protector of the land, I shall become your queen and remain under your authority.’”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'vaiśampāyana uvāca', 'definition': 'Vaiśampāyana said (narrator’s speech marker)'}, {'term': 'janamejaya', 'definition': 'Name of the listener-king

• Parīkṣit’s son'}, {'term': 'śāntanu', 'definition': 'King Śāntanu of the Kuru line'}, {'term': 'gaṅgā', 'definition': 'The river-goddess Gaṅgā'}, {'term': 'aiśvarya-vṛddhi', 'definition': 'increase of sovereignty, prosperity, royal fortune'}, {'term': 'taṭa', 'definition': 'riverbank, shore'}, {'term': 'nṛpa-śreṣṭha', 'definition': 'best among kings'}, {'term': 'satī / sādhvī', 'definition': 'virtuous woman

• chaste, morally steadfast'}, {'term': 'vasu', 'definition': 'one of the eight Vasus (Vedic deities)'}, {'term': 'vacana', 'definition': 'word, statement, promise'}, {'term': 'smṛti / smaraṇa', 'definition': 'remembrance, recollection'}, {'term': 'yuktakāla', 'definition': 'proper time, opportune moment'}, {'term': 'śāpa', 'definition': 'curse'}, {'term': 'prerita', 'definition': 'impelled, driven (by a cause)'}, {'term': 'santāna-utpādana-icchā', 'definition': 'desire to produce offspring'}, {'term': 'pṛthivīpati', 'definition': 'lord of the earth

• king'}, {'term': 'madhurā vāṇī', 'definition': 'sweet speech'}, {'term': 'bhūpāla', 'definition': 'protector of the earth

• king'}, {'term': 'mahārāṇī', 'definition': 'queen'}, {'term': 'adhīna', 'definition': 'subject to, under the authority of'}]

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Śāntanu
• Gaṅgā
• Vasus
• King Pratīpa
• riverbank (taṭa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights how vows and prior words (vacana) bind even divine beings: Gaṅgā acts in accordance with her promise to the Vasus and the remembered instruction connected with Pratīpa, showing dharma as fidelity to one’s commitments, even when driven by fate (śāpa).

What is happening in the narrative?

Gaṅgā approaches King Śāntanu at the riverbank, recalling her promise to the Vasus and the relevant prior context involving King Pratīpa. Seeing the time as ripe and motivated by the Vasus’ curse, she seeks union with Śāntanu to bear children and offers to become his queen under his authority.