Shloka 69
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
आसीत् सा मत्स्यगन्धैव कंचित् काल शुचिस्मिता । शुश्रूषार्थ पितुर्नावं वाहयन्तीं जले च ताम्
āsīt sā matsyagandhaiva kañcit kāla śucismitā | śuśrūṣārthaṃ pitur nāvaṃ vāhayantīṃ jale ca tām ||
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ຢູ່ຊ່ວງໜຶ່ງ ນາງສາວນ້ອຍນັ້ນ ມີຊື່ສຽງຢູ່ດ້ວຍນາມ “ມັດສະຍະກັນທາ” ຢ່າງນັ້ນເອງ; ນາງຍິ້ມຢ່າງບໍລິສຸດ ແລະອ່ອນໂຍນ ພາເຮືອໄປມາໃນນ້ຳເພື່ອຮັບໃຊ້ພໍ່. (ໃນເລື່ອງທີ່ກວ້າງກວ່າ, ຊື່ສຽງພາຍຫຼັງຂອງນາງເປັນ “ສັດຍະວະຕີ” ເກີດຈາກຄວາມສັດຊື່ ແລະຄຸນຄ່າແຫ່ງຈິດໃຈ ແມ່ນແຕ່ໃນວັຍເດັກນາງຢູ່ຢ່າງຖ່ອມຕົນ ຮັບໃຊ້ຢູ່ທ່າມກາງຊາວປະມົງ.)
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma through humble, consistent service: the maiden’s identity is shaped not by birth or circumstance but by conduct—filial duty, modesty, and steady work. It also hints at how virtue can coexist with social marginality, preparing the ethical ground for her later elevation as Satyavatī.
Vaiśaṃpāyana describes the young woman known as Matsyagandhā spending a period of her life ferrying a boat on the river to serve her father. In the immediate surrounding story, this sets the scene for the sage Parāśara to notice her during his travels.