Shloka 11
Ruru’s Lament and the Lifespan Exchange for Pramadvarā (रुरु–प्रमद्वरा आयुर्विभागः)
देवदूत उवाच आयुषोउर्ध प्रयच्छ त्वं कन्यायै भुगुनन्दन । एवमुत्थास्यति रुरो तव भार्या प्रमद्वरा,देवदूतने कहा--भृगुनन्दन रुरु! तुम उस कन्याके लिये अपनी आधी आयु दे दो। ऐसा करनेसे तुम्हारी भार्या प्रमद्वरा जी उठेगी
devadūta uvāca | āyuṣo 'rdhaṃ prayaccha tvaṃ kanyāyai bhṛgunandana | evam utthāsyati ruruḥ tava bhāryā pramadvarā ||
The divine messenger said: “O descendant-delight of Bhṛgu, give half of your lifespan to that maiden. If you do so, your wife Pramadvarā will rise again to life.” The moment frames a moral test: love and responsibility are measured not by grief alone, but by the willingness to sacrifice one’s own allotted life for another.
देवदूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical self-giving: true commitment may require personal sacrifice, even of one’s own lifespan, to uphold love, responsibility, and the sanctity of marital bonds.
A divine messenger instructs Ruru (of Bhṛgu’s lineage) to transfer half his life to a maiden; by this act, his wife Pramadvarā will be restored to life.