Shloka 3
Ādi-parva, Adhyāya 73: Devayānī–Śarmiṣṭhā Dispute, Confinement in the Well, and Yayāti’s Rescue
आहरामि तवाद्याहं निष्कादीन्यजिनानि च । सर्व राज्यं तवाद्यास्तु भार्या मे भव शोभने,सोनेके हार, सुन्दर वस्त्र, तपाये हुए सुवर्णके दो कुण्डल, विभिन्न नगरोंके बने हुए सुन्दर और चमकीले मणिरत्ननिर्मित आभूषण, स्वर्णपदक और कोमल मृगचर्म आदि वस्तुएँ तुम्हारे लिये मैं अभी लाये देता हूँ। शोभने! अधिक क्या कहूँ, मेरा सारा राज्य आजलसे तुम्हारा हो जाय, तुम मेरी महारानी बन जाओ
duṣyanta uvāca | āharāmi tavādyāhaṁ niṣkādīny ajināni ca | sarvaṁ rājyaṁ tavādyāstu bhāryā me bhava śobhane ||
Duṣyanta said: “Even today I shall bring for you niṣkas (gold ornaments) and other gifts, and also deer-skins. Let my entire kingdom become yours from this very day. O lovely one, become my wife.” In the narrative setting, the king seeks to win Śakuntalā through lavish promises—wealth, royal power, and status—revealing the tension between desire and dharma: whether a relationship is grounded in righteous procedure and responsibility, or in immediate attraction supported by material inducements.
दुष्यन्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how power and wealth can be used as persuasion in intimate relationships, raising a dharmic question: commitment should rest on rightful conduct and responsibility, not merely on desire reinforced by material promises.
King Duṣyanta, captivated by the woman he addresses as “śobhane,” offers immediate gifts (gold ornaments, deer-skins) and even his kingdom, urging her to become his wife.