Shloka 20
पाण्डोः तपः-प्रसङ्गः, ऋण-धर्मः, अपत्य-प्राप्ति-चिन्ता
Pāṇḍu’s Asceticism, the Doctrine of Debts, and Deliberations on Progeny
प्रादाच्च तस्यै कन्यात्वं पुन: स परमद्युति: । दत्त्वा च तपतां श्रेष्ठो दिवमाचक्रमे तत:,उत्तम प्रकाशवाले भगवान् सूर्यने कुलीको पुनः: कन्यात्व प्रदान किया। तत्पश्चात् तपनेवालोंमें श्रेष्ठ भगवान् सूर्य देवलोकमें चले गये
prādāc ca tasyai kanyātvaṃ punaḥ sa paramadyutiḥ | dattvā ca tapatāṃ śreṣṭho divam ācakrame tataḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The supremely radiant one restored her maidenhood again. Having granted this boon, the best among those who shine with heat—Bhagavān Sūrya—then departed for heaven. The episode underscores the safeguarding of a woman’s honor and social standing through divine assurance, while also marking the god’s withdrawal after fulfilling his obligation.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical concern central to dharma in the epic world: protecting a woman’s honor and future social security. The restoration of kanyātva functions as a divine remedy that prevents lasting social harm after an extraordinary event, and it also shows that a boon-giver should fulfill obligations and then withdraw without further disruption.
After an encounter with the supremely radiant Sun-god, he grants the woman a boon by restoring her maidenhood (kanyātva) and then departs to heaven. The narrator Vaiśaṃpāyana reports this as a completed divine act: boon given, consequence mitigated, deity returns to his realm.