Shloka 40
Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)
दास्यामि मत्स्यप्रवरानुष्यतामिह भारत । भरतनन्दन! सरस्वती इस प्रकार बोलीं--“बेटा! तुम्हें यहाँसे कहीं नहीं जाना चाहिये। मैं सदा तुम्हें भोजनके लिये उत्तमोत्तम मछलियाँ दूँगी; अतः तुम यहीं रहो' ।। इत्युक्तस्तर्पपामास स पितृन् देवतास्तथा
dāsyāmi matsyapravarān uṣyatām iha bhārata | bharatanandana! sarasvatī iti prakāraṃ babhāṣe—“vatsa! tvam iha-sthānāt kvacid api na gantavyam | ahaṃ sadā tubhyaṃ bhojanārthaṃ uttamottamān matsyān dāsyāmi; ataḥ tvam ihaiva tiṣṭha” || ity uktaḥ tarpayām āsa sa pitṝn devatās tathā ||
Sarasvatī spoke in this manner: “Child, you should not go anywhere from here. I will always give you the finest fish for your food; therefore stay here.” Thus addressed, he proceeded to satisfy the Pitṛs (ancestral spirits) and the gods as well.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical pull of comfort and provision—Sarasvatī offers sustenance and asks him to remain—yet it also foregrounds proper conduct through ritual responsibility: even amid persuasive offers, one maintains dharmic duties such as honoring the Pitṛs and the gods.
Sarasvatī addresses the person called ‘Bhārata/Bharatanandana,’ urging him not to leave and promising the best fish for food. After being spoken to in this way, he performs acts of propitiation, satisfying the ancestral spirits (Pitṛs) and the deities.