Shloka 78
एवमुक्तवतीं तां तु प्रीतिमानृषिसत्तम: । उवाच मत्प्रियं कृत्वा कन्यैव त्वं भविष्यसि,सत्यवतीके ऐसा कहनेपर मुनिश्रेष्ठ पराशर प्रसन्न होकर बोले--“भीरु! मेरा प्रिय कार्य करके भी तुम कन्या ही रहोगी। भामिनि! तुम जो चाहो, वह मुझसे वर माँग लो। शुचिस्मिते! आजसे पहले कभी भी मेरा अनुग्रह व्यर्थ नहीं गया है”
evam uktavatīṁ tāṁ tu prītimān ṛṣisattamaḥ | uvāca matpriyaṁ kṛtvā kanyā eva tvaṁ bhaviṣyasi ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When she had spoken thus, the foremost of sages, filled with affection, addressed her: “Even after doing what is dear to me, you shall remain a maiden.” The statement frames Paraśara’s boon as a protection of Satyavatī’s social standing and future prospects, presenting consent and recompense within the episode’s moral economy, where a powerful ascetic seeks to remove the worldly harm that might follow from the encounter.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata ethic: when desire risks causing social harm, responsibility is shown through restitution and protection. Paraśara’s boon aims to prevent lasting damage to Satyavatī’s reputation and future, illustrating how power should be paired with accountability.
After Satyavatī speaks (in the preceding context), the sage Paraśara, pleased, promises her that even after fulfilling his wish she will remain a maiden. This is part of the Paraśara–Satyavatī episode leading to the birth of Vyāsa and the granting of boons.