Shloka 24

Rāma–Jāmadagnya-janma-kāraṇa and Kṣatra-kṣaya

Paraśurāma’s origins and the depletion/restoration of kṣatriya lineages

Devanagari script

सत्यवत्युवाच इच्छल्लॉकानपि मुने सृजेथा: कि पुन: सुतम्‌ । शमात्मकमजुं पुत्र दातुमहसि मे प्रभो,सत्यवती बोली--मुने! आप चाहें तो सम्पूर्ण लोकोंकी नयी सृष्टि कर सकते हैं; फिर इच्छानुसार पुत्र उत्पन्न करनेकी तो बात ही क्‍या है? अतः प्रभो! मुझे तो शान्त एवं सरल स्वभाववाला पुत्र ही प्रदान कीजिये

Transliteration

satyavaty uvāca | icchallokān api mune sṛjethāḥ ki punaḥ sutam | śamātmakam ajuṃ putra dātum arhasi me prabho ||

Translation

Satyavatī dit : «Ô sage, si tu le veux, tu es capable de créer jusqu’à des mondes ; à plus forte raison de faire naître un fils. Aussi, ô seigneur, accorde-moi un fils au naturel paisible et simple, exempt de rudesse.»

Word by Word

• {'satyavaty uvāca': 'Satyavatī said', 'icchan': 'wishing, desiring', 'lokān': 'worlds, realms', 'api': 'even, also', 'mune': 'O sage', 'sṛjethāḥ': 'you could create/bring forth', 'ki punaḥ': 'how much more

• what then to say of', 'sutam': 'a son', 'śamātmaka': 'of tranquil disposition

• peace-natured', 'ajum': 'straightforward, simple, guileless (contextual sense)', 'putra': 'son', 'dātum': 'to give, to grant', 'arhasi': 'you are able/fit/ought', 'me': 'to me, for me', 'prabho': 'O lord, O master'}

Speaker

ऋचीक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Satyavatī
• Ṛcīka (sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a value-based request: when seeking blessings, one should prioritize inner virtues—peacefulness and simplicity—over power or ambition, implying that ethical character is the highest boon.

What is happening in the narrative?

Satyavatī addresses the sage Ṛcīka, acknowledging his extraordinary ascetic power (able to create worlds) and asks him to grant her a son specifically endowed with a calm and straightforward nature.