Shloka 12
Subhadrā-vilāpaḥ — Subhadrā’s Lament for Abhimanyu
Droṇa-parva 55
नारदस्त्वब्रवीदेनं देहि महमिमां नूप । भार्यार्थ सुमहच्छेय: प्राप्तुं चेदिच्छसे नूप,इसी समय नारदजी राजासे बोले--“नरेश्वर! यदि तुम परम कल्याण प्राप्त करना चाहते हो तो अपनी इस कन्याको धर्मपत्नी बनानेके लिये मुझे दे दो”
nāradas tv abravīd enaṃ dehi mahām imāṃ nṛpa | bhāryārthaṃ sumahac chreyaḥ prāptuṃ ced icchase nṛpa ||
Saat itu Nārada berkata kepada sang raja, “Wahai raja, berikanlah gadis ini kepadaku sebagai istri. Jika engkau ingin meraih kebajikan tertinggi dan kesejahteraan agung, maka anugerahkanlah ia kepadaku.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma as practical ethical commitment: a ruler’s greatness is measured by truthfulness, generosity, and detachment. Nārada frames the request as a pathway to śreyas (highest good), implying that moral excellence may require surrendering personal claims for a higher duty.
Nārada addresses a king and asks him to give a maiden (the king’s daughter, per the prose context) to Nārada as a wife. The request functions as a moral trial, pressing the king to choose between attachment and a dharma-oriented act presented as leading to great welfare.