Shloka 48

आदि पर्व, अध्याय 96 — काश्यकन्याहरणं, शाल्वसमागमः, अम्बावचनं च

Kāśī princesses taken; encounter with Śālva; Ambā’s declaration

Devanagari script

भीष्फ:ः खलु॒ पितु:ः प्रियचिकीर्षया सत्यवतीं मातरमुदवाहयत्‌; यामाहुर्गन्धकालीति,भीष्मने अपने पिताका प्रिय करनेकी इच्छासे उनके साथ माता सत्यवतीका विवाह कराया; जिसे गन्धकाली भी कहते हैं

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca — Bhīṣmaḥ khalu pituḥ priyacikīrṣayā Satyavatīṃ mātaram udavāhayat; yām āhur Gandhakālīti.

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : En vérité, Bhīṣma, désireux d’accomplir ce qui était cher à son père, fit arranger le mariage de Satyavatī—que l’on nomme aussi Gandhakālī—avec son père. L’épisode met en lumière l’effacement volontaire de Bhīṣma et son devoir filial, plaçant le bien du père et la continuité dynastique au-dessus de toute préférence personnelle.

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

खलुindeed, surely

पितुःof (his) father

प्रियचिकीर्षयाwith the desire to do what is pleasing (to him)

सत्यवतीम्Satyavati

मातरम्mother (as motherly lady)

उदवाहयत्caused to be married / arranged the marriage

याम्whom

आहुःthey call / they have said

गन्धकालीGandhakali (the dark one with fragrance/fish-smell epithet)

इतिthus

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīṣma

Śāntanu

Satyavatī

Gandhakālī

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds filial dharma and intentional self-sacrifice: Bhīṣma prioritizes what benefits and pleases his father, thereby supporting family stability and the continuation of the royal line.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Bhīṣma, acting for his father’s sake, arranged the marriage with Satyavatī—also known as Gandhakālī—thereby enabling Śāntanu’s union with her.