Shloka 17

ययातिः शर्मिष्ठायाः ऋतुप्रार्थनां धर्मसंवादं च शृणोति

Yayāti and Śarmiṣṭhā: request in ṛtu and discourse on truth and dharma

Devanagari script

कच उवाच गुरुपुत्रीति कृत्वाहं प्रत्याचक्षे न दोषत: । गुरुणा चाननुज्ञात: काममेवं शपस्व माम्‌,कचने कहा--देवयानी! गुरुपुत्री समझकर ही मैंने तुम्हारे अनुरोधको टाल दिया है; तुममें कोई दोष देखकर नहीं। गुरुजीने भी इसके विषयमें मुझे कोई आज्ञा नहीं दी है। तुम्हारी जैसी इच्छा हो, मुझे शाप दे दो

Transliteration

kaca uvāca guruputrīti kṛtvāhaṃ pratyācakṣe na doṣataḥ | guruṇā cānanujñātaḥ kāmam evaṃ śapasva mām ||

Translation

Dijo Kaca: «Rechacé tu petición sólo porque te consideré hija de mi maestro, no porque viera en ti falta alguna. Y en este asunto tampoco he recibido permiso de mi gurú. Por tanto, si así lo deseas, maldíceme como quieras».

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'guruputrī', 'definition': 'the guru’s daughter

• a figure to be treated with filial respect'}, {'term': 'kṛtvā', 'definition': 'having made/considered (as)

• taking (someone) to be'}, {'term': 'pratyācakṣe', 'definition': 'I refuse

• I turn back (a request)'}, {'term': 'doṣataḥ', 'definition': 'due to fault

• from (seeing) a defect'}, {'term': 'ananujñātaḥ', 'definition': 'not permitted

• not authorized'}, {'term': 'kāmam', 'definition': 'as you please

• at your pleasure'}, {'term': 'śapasva', 'definition': 'curse (me)! (imperative, 2nd person singular)'}, {'term': 'mām', 'definition': 'me'}]

Speaker

कच उवाच

Characters & Entities

• कच (Kaca)
• देवयानी (Devayānī)
• गुरु (Śukra/Śukrācārya, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Kacha frames his refusal as an ethical boundary grounded in dharma: Devayānī is to him ‘the guru’s daughter,’ deserving familial respect, and he will not act without the guru’s authorization. The verse highlights restraint, propriety in relationships, and deference to legitimate authority in sensitive matters.

What is happening in the narrative?

Devayānī presses Kacha regarding her desire, but Kacha explains that he declined not out of disdain or by finding fault in her, but because he considers her his teacher’s daughter and lacks his guru’s permission. He then tells her that if she still wishes, she may curse him—setting up the ensuing śāpa episode.