Shloka 20

Yakṣa-saṃvāda: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Interrogation at the Guarded Water

Devanagari script

श्वश्वृं शरीरसत्कारै: सर्वैराच्छादनादिभि: | श्वशुरं देवसत्कारैर्वाच: संयमनेन च,उसने शारीरिक सेवा तथा वस्त्राभूषण आदिके द्वारा सासको और वाणीके संयमपूर्वक देवोचित सत्कारद्वारा ससुरको संतुष्ट किया

Transliteration

śvaśrūṃ śarīra-satkāraiḥ sarvair ācchādanādibhiḥ | śvaśuraṃ deva-satkārair vācaḥ saṃyamanena ca ||

Translation

ಶಾರೀರಿಕ ಸೇವೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಆಚ್ಚಾದನ-ವಸ್ತ್ರಾದಿಗಳಿಂದ ಶ್ವಶ್ರುವನ್ನು ಸಂತೋಷಪಡಿಸಿದಳು; ವಾಕ್ಸಂಯಮದೊಂದಿಗೆ ದೇವತೆಯಂತೆ ಗೌರವಿಸಿ ಶ್ವಶುರನನ್ನೂ ತೃಪ್ತಿಪಡಿಸಿದಳು।

Word by Word

श्वश्वृम्mother-in-law

शरीरwith bodily (services)

सत्कारैःby honors / respectful services

सर्वैःby all

आच्छादनby coverings / clothing

आदिभिःand the like (etc.)

श्वशुरम्father-in-law

देवby (treating as) gods / in a godlike manner

सत्कारैःby honors / respectful reception

वाचःof speech

संयमनेनby restraint / control

चand

Speaker

इुमत्सेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

śvaśrū (mother-in-law)

śvaśura (father-in-law)

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?

Household dharma is fulfilled by honoring elders through tangible service and by disciplined speech; reverence is shown not only by gifts and care but also by self-restraint in words.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker describes how one wins the goodwill of in-laws: the mother-in-law is pleased through attentive physical service and provisions like clothing, while the father-in-law is satisfied through deity-like respect expressed especially via controlled, respectful speech.