Shloka 11
Kuvalāśva’s Lineage and Uttaṅka’s Petition concerning Dhundhu (धुन्धु-प्रसङ्गः)
अथोवाच कन्या समयेनाहं शक्या त्वया लब्धुं नान्यथेति राजा तां समयमपृच्छत् । कन्योवाच नोदकं मे दर्शयितव्यमिति,“कन्या बोली” तुम मुझे एक शर्तके साथ पा सकते हो अन्यथा नहीं।” राजाने उससे वह शर्त पूछी। कनन््याने कहा--“मुझे कभी जलका दर्शन न कराना'
athovāca kanyā samayenāhaṃ śakyā tvayā labdhuṃ nānyatheti rājā tāṃ samayam apṛcchat | kanyovāca nodakaṃ me darśayitavyam iti |
Then the maiden said, “You may obtain me only on a condition—otherwise not.” The king asked her what that condition was. The maiden replied, “You must never show me water.” The episode frames a marriage-like acquisition as bound by a freely stated vow, highlighting the ethical weight of consent and the duty to honor stipulated conditions.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A condition freely stated becomes a binding samaya (stipulation); dharma requires honoring such vows and respecting the agency of the other party, especially in agreements resembling marriage.
A maiden tells a king he can obtain her only under a specific condition. When he asks what it is, she states the prohibition: he must never show her water.