Shloka 79
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
वृणीष्व च वरं भीरु यं त्वमिच्छसि भामिनि | वृथा हि न प्रसादो मे भूतपूर्व: शुचिस्मिते,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”
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
vṛṇīṣva ca varaṃ bhīru yaṃ tvam icchasi bhāmini |
vṛthā hi na prasādo me bhūtapūrvaḥ śucismite ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Choose a boon, timid one—whatever you desire, O passionate lady. For my favor has never, in the past, proved fruitless, O you of pure smile.” In context, the sage’s assurance frames his grace as reliable and binding, emphasizing the ethical weight of a boon once granted and the responsibility of the recipient to choose wisely.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A boon (vara) is not a casual gift but a morally weighty commitment: the giver’s grace is presented as unfailing, so the recipient must exercise discernment and responsibility in choosing what to ask.
The speaker reports a moment where a powerful figure invites a woman to request any boon she desires, assuring her that his favor has never been ineffective—setting up the consequential choice that follows in the story.