Shloka 30

यक्षोपाख्यान-प्रवेशः

Entry into the Yakṣa-Lake Episode

Devanagari script

नान्यस्मिन्‌ पुरुषे सन्ति ये सत्यवति वै गुणा: । प्रदानमेव तस्मान्मे रोचते दुहितुस्तव,सत्यवान्‌में जो गुण हैं, वे दूसरे किसी पुरुषमें हैं भी नहीं। अत: मुझे आपकी पुत्रीका सत्यवानके साथ विवाह कर देना ही ठीक मालूम पड़ता है

Transliteration

nānyasmin puruṣe santi ye satyavati vai guṇāḥ | pradānam eva tasmān me rocate duhitus tava |

Translation

Nārada said: “The virtues that are found in Satyavān are not found in any other man. Therefore, in my judgment, it is best that you give your daughter to Satyavān in marriage.”

Word by Word

• [{'sanskrit': 'na anyasmin', 'gloss': 'not in any other (person/place)

• in no one else'}, {'sanskrit': 'puruṣe', 'gloss': 'in a man

• in a person (locative singular)'}, {'sanskrit': 'santi', 'gloss': 'are

• exist'}, {'sanskrit': 'ye', 'gloss': 'which

• those that (relative pronoun)'}, {'sanskrit': 'satyavati', 'gloss': 'in Satyavān (locative

• name of the prince)'}, {'sanskrit': 'vai', 'gloss': 'indeed

• certainly (emphatic particle)'}, {'sanskrit': 'guṇāḥ', 'gloss': 'qualities

• merits'}, {'sanskrit': 'pradānam', 'gloss': 'giving away (in marriage)

• donation'}, {'sanskrit': 'eva', 'gloss': 'alone

• just'}, {'sanskrit': 'tasmāt', 'gloss': 'therefore

• for that reason'}, {'sanskrit': 'me', 'gloss': 'to me

• in my view'}, {'sanskrit': 'rocate', 'gloss': 'pleases

• seems right/appropriate'}, {'sanskrit': 'duhituḥ', 'gloss': 'of (your) daughter (genitive singular)'}, {'sanskrit': 'tava', 'gloss': 'your'}]

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Satyavān
• the daughter (unnamed here)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical discernment in marriage: one should value inner virtues (guṇa) above external considerations, and a wise counselor recommends a match grounded in character and merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada, acting as an authoritative sage, evaluates Satyavān’s exceptional virtues and advises the father that giving his daughter in marriage to Satyavān is the most fitting course.