Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ज्योत्स्नाकालीति यामाहुर्द्धितीयां रूपत: श्रियम्‌ । अदित्याश्वैव य: पुत्रो ज्येष्ठ: श्रेष्ठ: कृत: स्मृत:,सोमकी जो दूसरी पुत्री हैं, वे ज्योत्स्नाकालीके नामसे प्रसिद्ध हैं तथा रूपमें साक्षात्‌ लक्ष्मीके समान जान पड़ती हैं। उन्होंने अदितिदेवीके ज्येष्ठ पुत्र सूर्यदेवको अपना श्रेष्ठ पति बनाया एवं माना है

Transliteration

jyotsnākālīti yām āhur dvitīyāṁ rūpataḥ śriyam | adityāśvaiva yaḥ putro jyeṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ kṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ ||

Translation

カンヴァは言った。「人々がジョーツナーカーリー（Jyotsnākālī）と呼ぶのが第二の娘で、その美はまさしくシュリー（ラクシュミー）そのもののようだ。彼女はアディティの長子スーリヤ（Sūrya）—神々の中で最も優れた者として名高い—を最上の夫として選び、認めた。」

Word by Word

ज्योत्स्नाकालीJyotsnākālī (name)

इतिthus

याwho (she)

आहुःthey call / have called

द्वितीयाम्the second (one)

रूपतःin appearance / by form

श्रियम्Śrī, Lakṣmī (prosperity/goddess)

अदित्याःof Aditi

इवlike, as

यःwho

पुत्रःson

ज्येष्ठःeldest

श्रेष्ठःbest, excellent

कृतःmade, appointed

स्मृतःremembered, known as

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

क

कण्व (Kaṇva)

ज

ज्योत्स्नाकाली (Jyotsnākālī)

श

श्री/लक्ष्मी (Śrī/Lakṣmī)

अ

अदिति (Aditi)

स

सूर्य (Sūrya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the traditional ideal of recognizing excellence and auspiciousness (śrī) in rightful alliances: a woman of radiant beauty is paired with the foremost divine figure, reflecting a worldview where social and cosmic order are mirrored through appropriate, merit-aligned relationships.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva is describing a lineage detail: he identifies the second daughter named Jyotsnākālī, praises her beauty as Lakṣmī-like, and states that she has taken as her husband Sūrya, the eldest son of the goddess Aditi, renowned as the foremost.