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Shloka 18

Dhruva’s Humiliation, Sunīti’s Counsel, and Nārada’s Bhakti-Yoga Instruction

सत्यं सुरुच्याभिहितं भवान्मे यद्दुर्भगाया उदरे गृहीत: । स्तन्येन वृद्धश्च विलज्जते यां भार्येति वा वोढुमिडस्पतिर्माम् ॥ १८ ॥

satyaṁ surucyābhihitaṁ bhavān me yad durbhagāyā udare gṛhītaḥ stanyena vṛddhaś ca vilajjate yāṁ bhāryeti vā voḍhum iḍaspatir mām

Sunīti dijo: Hijo mío, lo que ha dicho Suruci es verdad. Tu padre, el rey, no me considera esposa, ni siquiera sirvienta; le avergüenza aceptarme. Por eso es cierto que naciste del vientre de una mujer desafortunada y creciste alimentado por su leche.

satyamtruly
satyam:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsatya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय; वाक्योपक्रमे ‘सत्यम्’ = indeed/truly (sentence adverb)
surucyāby Suruci
surucyā:
Kartr-karana (कर्ता/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootsuruci (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
abhihitamspoken
abhihitam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootabhihita (कृदन्त; √dhā/√hā? actually √bhidh/√vad sense ‘to say’ via √dhā?; standard: √dhā?; here ‘abhihita’ from √dhā? not; treat as √bhidh/√vad? )
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘said/spoken’
bhavānyou
bhavān:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootbhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम
meto me
me:
Sampradana/Sambandha (सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन; ‘मे’ = to me/of me
yatthat which
yat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; यत्-सम्बन्ध
durbhagāyāḥof the unfortunate woman
durbhagāyāḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootdurbhagā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
udarein the womb
udare:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootudara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
gṛhītaḥaccepted/received (as son)
gṛhītaḥ:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootgṛhīta (कृदन्त; √grah धातु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)
stanyenaby milk (breast-milk)
stanyena:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootstanya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
vṛddhaḥgrown up
vṛddhaḥ:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootvṛddha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)
vilajjateis ashamed
vilajjate:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvi-lajj (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
yāmwhom
yām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; यत्-सम्बन्ध
bhāryāwife
bhāryā:
Pratipadya (प्रातिपद्य/नाम)
TypeNoun
Rootbhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; इति-पूर्वं नाम-निर्देशः
itias/‘thus’
iti:
Nirdeshaka (निर्देशक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; इति-उद्धरण/निरूपण (quotative particle)
or
:
Vikalpa (विकल्प)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive)
voḍhumto take (in marriage)
voḍhum:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
TypeVerb
Rootvah (धातु; √vah ‘to carry’, desiderative/infinitive sense ‘to take (as wife)’)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), ‘to marry/to take’
iḍaspatiḥthe lord of Iḍā (Manu)
iḍaspatiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootiḍā (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘इडायाः पतिः’ (king/Manu)
māmme
mām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग/उभयलिङ्ग-प्रयोग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘me’ as object
S
Suruci
S
Sunīti
U
Uttānapāda

FAQs

This verse shows Dhruva honestly acknowledging the harsh insult and social rejection, which becomes the turning point that drives him toward higher shelter—seeking lasting honor through devotion rather than fragile worldly approval.

After being wounded by Suruci’s words and feeling rejected by his father Uttānapāda, Dhruva vents his pain to Sunīti, interpreting the situation as proof of his mother’s disfavored position and his own lack of acceptance at court.

Acknowledge the pain without denial, then redirect your energy toward a higher, stable goal—spiritual practice, character, and service—rather than trying to win validation from those driven by envy or favoritism.