Shloka 24

Devanagari script

वसुदेवस्य भगिनी सुतानां प्रवरा मम । अग्रयमग्रे प्रतिज्ञाय तेनासि दुहिता मम,तुम वसुदेवकी बहिन तथा मेरी संतानोंमें सबसे बड़ी हो। पहले उन्होंने यह प्रतिज्ञा कर रखी थी कि मैं अपनी पहली संतान तुम्हें दे दूँगा। उसीके अनुसार उन्होंने तुम्हें मेरी गोदमें अर्पित किया है, इस कारण तुम मेरी दत्तक पुत्री हो

Transliteration

vasudevasya bhaginī sutānāṃ pravarā mama | agrayam agre pratijñāya tenāsi duhitā mama ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “You are the sister of Vasudeva, and among my children you are the foremost. Having earlier made a pledge to give me his firstborn, he placed you into my lap in accordance with that promise; therefore you are my adopted daughter.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'vasudevasya', 'definition': 'of Vasudeva'}, {'term': 'bhaginī', 'definition': 'sister'}, {'term': 'sutānām', 'definition': 'of (my) children/sons

• offspring'}, {'term': 'pravarā', 'definition': 'the best, foremost, preeminent (feminine)'}, {'term': 'mama', 'definition': 'my'}, {'term': 'agrayam', 'definition': 'the first

• firstborn (accusative feminine)'}, {'term': 'agre', 'definition': 'formerly, earlier

• in front/at first'}, {'term': 'pratijñāya', 'definition': 'having promised

• having made a vow/pledge'}, {'term': 'tena', 'definition': 'by him

• therefore/accordingly'}, {'term': 'asi', 'definition': 'you are'}, {'term': 'duhitā', 'definition': 'daughter'}]

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vasudeva

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma as fidelity to one’s pledged word (pratijñā). A prior promise about the firstborn is treated as morally binding, and social relationships (like adoption) are validated through the honoring of that vow.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker explains a woman’s status within the family: although she is Vasudeva’s sister by birth, she is regarded as the foremost among the speaker’s children because she was formally given as the promised firstborn, making her the speaker’s adopted daughter.