Shloka 5
यक्षोपाख्यान-प्रवेशः
Entry into the Yakṣa-Lake Episode
अश्वपतिरवाच कार्येण खल्वनेनैव प्रेषिताद्यैव चागता । एतस्या: शृणु देवर्षे भर्तारें योडनया वृत:,अश्वपतिने कहा--देवर्षे! इसे मैंने इसी कार्यसे भेजा था और यह अभी-अभी लौटी है। इसने अपने लिये जिस पतिका वरण किया है, उसका नाम इसीके मुखसे सुनिये
aśvapatir uvāca kāryeṇa khalv anenaiva preṣitā adyaiva cāgatā | etasyāḥ śṛṇu devarṣe bhartāraṃ yo ’nayā vṛtaḥ ||
Aśvapati said, “O divine seer, I sent her out precisely for this purpose, and she has only just returned today. Now hear from her own lips, O Devarṣi, the name of the husband whom she has chosen for herself.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights responsible agency within dharma: a royal daughter is sent with a clear purpose, returns promptly, and her chosen spouse is to be declared transparently before a sage—emphasizing accountability, truthful disclosure, and the ethical weight of marital choice.
King Aśvapati addresses the sage Nārada, explaining that his daughter was dispatched to find a suitable husband and has just returned. He invites Nārada to hear directly from her whom she has chosen as her husband.