Shloka 26
Ajñātavāsa-saṅkalpaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Resolve and Dhaumya’s Exempla on Concealment
सो$भिगम्य प्रियां भार्यामुवाच श्रमपीडित: । लकड़ी चीरते समय परिश्रमके कारण उनके शरीरसे पसीना निकल आया और उसी परिश्रमसे उनके सिरमें दर्द होने लगा। तब वे श्रमसे पीड़ित हो अपनी प्यारी पत्नीके पास जाकर बोले--,यम उवाच निवर्त तुष्टोडस्मि तवानया गिरा स्वराक्षरव्यज्जनहेतुयुक्तया । वरं वृणीष्वेह विनास्य जीवितं ददानि ते सर्वमनिन्दिते वरम् यमराज बोले--अनिन्दिते! तू लौट जा। स्वर, अक्षर, व्यंजन एवं युक्तियोंसे युक्त तेरी इन बातोंसे मैं बहुत प्रसन्न हूँ। तू यहाँ मुझसे कोई वर माँग ले। सत्यवानके जीवनके सिवा मैं और सब कुछ तुझे दे सकता हूँ
so 'bhigamya priyāṃ bhāryām uvāca śramapīḍitaḥ | yama uvāca nivarta tuṣṭo 'smi tavānayā girā svarākṣaravyañjanahetuyuktayā | varaṃ vṛṇīṣveha vināsya jīvitaṃ dadāni te sarvam anindite varam ||
Worn out by exertion, he went to his beloved wife and spoke. Then Yama said: “Return, blameless one. I am greatly pleased with your speech—well-formed in vowels, syllables, consonants, and sound reasoning. Ask a boon of me here; except for Satyavān’s life, I will grant you anything, O faultless lady.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical power of disciplined, truthful, and well-reasoned speech: Yama is moved not by force but by dhārmic conduct and refined words, yet even divine gifts may come with principled limits.
In the Sāvitrī–Satyavān episode narrated by Mārkaṇḍeya, Yama addresses the devoted wife (Sāvitrī), praises her eloquent and logically grounded speech, and offers her a boon—explicitly excluding the return of Satyavān’s life.