Shloka 32
यक्षी वा पन्नगी वापि मानुषी वा सुमध्यमे । याचे त्वां सुरगर्भाभे भार्या मे भव शोभने,तब राजा शान्तनु उसे सान्त्वना देते हुए मधुर वाणीमें बोले--'सुमध्यमे! तुम देवी, दानवी, गन्धर्वी, अप्सरा, यक्षी, नागकन्या अथवा मानवी, कुछ भी क्यों न होओ; देवकन्याके समान सुशोभित होनेवाली सुन्दरी! मैं तुमसे याचना करता हूँ कि मेरी पत्नी हो जाओ'
yakṣī vā pannagī vāpi mānuṣī vā sumadhyame | yāce tvāṃ suragarbhābhe bhāryā me bhava śobhane ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O slender-waisted lady! Whether you are a Yakṣa-woman, a serpent-maiden, or a human—O beautiful one, radiant like a celestial maiden—I beseech you: become my wife.” In the narrative setting, King Śāntanu speaks with gentle, conciliatory words, setting aside questions of origin and emphasizing respectful petition and the desire for lawful union.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights respectful petition and the ethical impulse to seek a socially and morally recognized bond (marriage) rather than possession—valuing the person’s beauty and presence without making lineage or species the decisive criterion.
King Śāntanu, captivated by a mysterious woman of extraordinary radiance, addresses her with courteous praise and asks her to become his wife, explicitly stating that her supernatural or human origin does not deter his request.