Shloka 8
Yakṣa-saṃvāda: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Interrogation at the Guarded Water
अश्वपतिर्वाच सावित्री नाम राजर्षे कन्येयं मम शोभना । तां स्वधर्मेण धर्मज्ञ स्नुषार्थे त्वं गृहाण मे,अश्वपति बोले--धर्मज्ञ राजर्षे! सावित्री नामसे प्रसिद्ध मेरी यह सुन्दरी कन्या है। इसे आप धर्मतः अपनी पुत्रवधू बनानेके लिये स्वीकार करें
aśvapatir uvāca—sāvitrī nāma rājarṣe kanyeyaṁ mama śobhanā | tāṁ svadharmeṇa dharmajña snuṣārthe tvaṁ gṛhāṇa me ||
Aśvapati said: “O royal sage, this is my beautiful daughter, renowned by the name Sāvitrī. O knower of dharma, accept her from me in accordance with righteous custom, taking her as a daughter-in-law for your house.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma as the governing principle of marriage alliances: even in royal contexts, the giving and accepting of a bride is framed as a lawful, ethically grounded act (svadharmeṇa), addressed to one who is expected to understand and uphold dharma (dharmajña).
King Aśvapati formally presents his daughter Sāvitrī to a royal sage and requests that she be accepted as a daughter-in-law, indicating a marriage arrangement being sought and conducted according to proper custom and righteousness.