Shloka 15

Gālava Completes the Horse-Gift: Garuḍa’s Counsel and Viśvāmitra’s Acceptance (गालव-विष्वामित्र-सम्बन्धः)

Devanagari script

सोऊहं प्रतिग्रहीष्यामि ददात्वेतां भवान्‌ मम | कुमारी देवगर्भाभामेकपुत्रभवाय मे,“अत: आप देवकन्याके समान सुन्दरी इस राजकुमारीको केवल एक पुत्र उत्पन्न करनेके लिये मुझे दें। मैं इसे ग्रहण करूँगा”

Transliteration

so ’haṃ pratigrahīṣyāmi dadātv etāṃ bhavān mama | kumārī devagarbhābhām ekaputrabhavāya me ||

Translation

ナーラダは言った。「我は彼女を受けよう。陛下よ、この乙女を我に与え給え――天女の娘のごとく輝くこの姫を――ただ一人の男子を我のために産ませるために。」

Word by Word

सःhe/that (person)

ऊहंinference/consideration (as object: 'this thought')

प्रतिग्रहीष्यामिI will accept/receive

ददातुlet (him) give / may (he) give

एताम्this (woman)

भवान्you (honorific)

ममto me / of me

कुमारीम्maiden/princess

देवगर्भाभाम्having the radiance/beauty like Devagarbhā (a celestial maiden)

एकपुत्रभवायfor becoming (the cause of) a single son / for producing only one son

मेto me / for me

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

a king (bhavān, implied addressee)

the princess/maiden (kumārī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how social and royal decisions can instrumentalize marriage for lineage goals; it invites reflection on dharma—balancing ascetic authority, royal obligation, and the moral necessity of respecting a woman’s agency rather than treating her as a mere means to produce an heir.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada formally declares his willingness to accept a particular princess and asks the king to give her to him, specifying that the union is intended to produce only one son.