Shloka 9
Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections
सर्वमद्य यथाशक्ति तव दास्यामि सुव्रत । शक्रभक्त्या च ते पाणिं न दास्यामि कथंचन
sarvam adya yathāśakti tava dāsyāmi suvrata | śakra-bhaktyā ca te pāṇiṃ na dāsyāmi kathaṃcana ||
“Today, to the best of my ability, I will give you everything, O man of excellent vows. Yet, out of devotion to Śakra (Indra), I will not give you my hand in marriage—by no means.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical agency and fidelity to a chosen vow or devotion: one may offer generosity within one’s capacity, yet still set a firm boundary regarding marriage (pāṇi-dāna). Devotion (bhakti) and personal commitment are presented as legitimate grounds for refusal, underscoring consent and steadfastness in dharma.
In Vaiśaṃpāyana’s narration, a speaker addresses a vow-observant person (suvrata), promising to give whatever is possible that day, but explicitly refusing to give her hand in marriage because of devotion to Śakra (Indra). The line contrasts material or practical giving with an uncompromising decision about marital commitment.