Shloka 36

Devanagari script

यद्यहं स्तुवतस्तात दुहिता प्रतिगृह्नतः । प्रसादयिष्ये शर्मिष्ठामित्युक्ता तु सखी मया,तात! यदि सचमुच मैं स्तुति करनेवाले और दान लेनेवालेकी बेटी हूँ, तो मैं शर्मिष्ठाको अपनी सेवाओंद्वारा प्रसन्न करूँगी। यह बात मैंने अपनी सखीसे कह दी थी

Transliteration

yady ahaṃ stuvatas tāta duhitā pratigṛhṇataḥ | prasādayiṣye śarmiṣṭhām ity uktā tu sakhī mayā, tāta ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Father, if I truly am the daughter of one who praises and one who accepts gifts, then I will win Śarmiṣṭhā’s goodwill through my service.” Thus I had spoken to my friend, O father. The line underscores a resolve to restore harmony through humility and personal effort, even when one’s status is questioned.

Word by Word

यदिif

अहम्I

स्तुवतःof (one) praising

तातO dear/father

दुहिताdaughter

प्रतिगृह्नतःof (one) accepting/receiving

प्रसादयिष्येI will please/propitiate

शर्मिष्ठाम्Śarmiṣṭhā

इतिthus

उक्ताsaid/spoken

तुbut/indeed

सखीfemale friend

मयाby me

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Śarmiṣṭhā

sakhī (a female friend)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When one’s honor or status is challenged, dharmic response can be to seek reconciliation through humility and constructive service rather than retaliation, aiming to restore goodwill and social harmony.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker reports a prior resolve expressed to a female friend: to please Śarmiṣṭhā by serving her, framed as a response to an insinuation about being the daughter of a flatterer and a gift-taker.