Shloka 5
अम्बोपाख्याने तापसानां विचारः तथा होत्रवाहनस्य उपदेशः
Ambā among ascetics; Hotravāhana directs her to Paraśurāma
(अभिनन्दस्व मां राजन् सदा प्रियहिते रताम् । प्रतिपादय मां राजन् धर्मार्थ चैव धर्मतः ।।
abhinandāsva māṃ rājan sadā priyahite ratām | pratipādaya māṃ rājan dharmārthaṃ caiva dharmataḥ || tvaṃ hi manasā dhyātas tvayā cāpy upamantritā ||
“Wahai Raja, sambutlah aku dengan sukacita—aku selalu setia pada apa yang engkau cintai dan yang membawa kebaikan bagimu. Wahai penguasa, terimalah aku menurut dharma; demi dharma tempatkanlah aku di kaki paduka. Dalam batinku aku senantiasa memikirkanmu, dan engkau pun pernah menyampaikan lamaran secara diam-diam.” Mendengar itu, Raja Śālva seakan tersenyum dan berkata: “Wahai jelita, engkau telah lebih dahulu menjadi milik orang lain; karena itu aku tidak berkehendak menjadikanmu istri.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames marriage and personal claims within the bounds of dharma: even intimate intentions and mutual attraction are presented as needing lawful, ethically sanctioned acceptance, emphasizing that social-ethical order (dharma) governs private desire.
A woman (contextually, Amba in this episode) appeals to a king to accept her as a lawful wife, asserting her devotion and recalling that he had earlier privately proposed. The speech is reported here under Bhishma’s narration.