Shloka 13

Devanagari script

सर्वान्‌ कामयते यस्मात्‌ कमेर्धातोश्व॒ भाविनि । तस्मात्‌ कन्येह सुश्रोणि स्वतन्त्रा वरवर्णिनि,सुन्दर भाववाली कुन्ती! “कम्‌' धातुसे कन्या शब्दकी सिद्धि होती है। सुन्दरी! वह (स्वयंवरमें आये हुए) सब वरोंमेंसे किसीको भी स्वतन्त्रतापूर्वक अपनी कामनाका विषय बना सकती है; इसीलिये इस जगत्‌में उसे कन्या कहा गया है

Transliteration

sarvān kāmayate yasmāt kamer dhātoś ca bhāvini | tasmāt kanyeha suśroṇi svatantrā varavarṇini ||

Translation

Sūrya said: “Because she may desire and choose any of them—‘kanyā’ being derived from the verbal root kam (‘to desire’)—therefore, O maiden of fair hips, O lovely one, she is called ‘kanyā’ in this world. In a svayaṃvara, she is free to make any of the assembled suitors the object of her choice.”

Word by Word

• {'sarvān': 'all (persons), all (suitors)', 'kāmayate': 'desires, chooses, makes the object of her wish', 'yasmāt': 'because, since', 'kam (dhātu)': 'the verbal root ‘kam’—to desire, to love, to wish', 'dhātoḥ': 'from the root (verbal root)', 'ca': 'and', 'bhāvini': 'O noble/fortunate lady (vocative

• an address of respect/affection)', 'tasmāt': 'therefore', 'kanyā': 'maiden

• here explained etymologically as ‘one who may choose/desire’', 'iha': 'here, in this world', 'suśroṇi': 'O fair-hipped one (epithet of a young woman)', 'svatantrā': 'independent, free (to choose)', 'vara': 'a bridegroom

• a suitor', 'varavarṇini': 'O lovely/fair-complexioned one

Speaker

सूर्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (the Sun-god)
• kanyā (maiden/bride)
• vara (suitors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical principle that in a svayaṃvara the maiden has svatantratā—freedom and agency—to choose among the suitors. It supports the idea that consent and personal choice are integral to a righteous marriage arrangement.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sūrya addresses a young woman with affectionate epithets and explains—through a traditional etymology (nirukti)—why she is called ‘kanyā’: because she may ‘desire/choose’ (from the root kam) any of the eligible suitors present, especially in the context of a svayaṃvara.