Shloka 3

अम्बाया निर्वेदः तपोव्रताभ्यर्थना च

Ambā’s Despair and Petition for Ascetic Vows

Devanagari script

ततो मूर्थन्युपाप्राय पर्यश्रुनयना नृप । आह सत्यवती ह्ृष्टा दिष्ट्या पुत्र जितं त्वया

Transliteration

tato mūrdhany upāprāya paryaśrunayanā nṛpa | āha satyavatī hṛṣṭā diṣṭyā putra jitaṃ tvayā ||

Translation

അപ്പോൾ, ഹേ നരേശ്വരാ, സത്യവതിയുടെ കണ്ണുകളിൽ ആനന്ദാശ്രു നിറഞ്ഞു. മാതൃസ്നേഹത്തോടെ അവൾ എന്റെ ശിരസ്സിനെ സ്പർശിച്ച് (മൂക്കി), ഹർഷത്തോടെ പറഞ്ഞു—“മകനേ! ദൈവാനുഗ്രഹത്താൽ നീ ജയിച്ചു.”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• मूर्धनि: on (my) head
• मूर्धनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• उपाप्राय: approached, came near
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आ + प्र + इ (धातु: इ/एति)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• पर्यश्रु-नयना: having tear-filled eyes
• पर्यश्रु-नयना: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्यश्रु + नयन
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• नृप: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• आह: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु: अह्/आह)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• सत्यवती: Satyavatī
• सत्यवती: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्यवती
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• हृष्टा: delighted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दिष्ट्या: fortunately; by good luck
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिष्टि

• पुत्र: O son
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• जितम्: won; conquered
• जितम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु: जि)
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• नर-ईश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + ईश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Satyavatī
• nṛpa (the king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of familial bonds and blessings: a mother-figure’s affectionate approval frames “victory” not merely as conquest but as an outcome to be received with humility, gratitude, and responsibility befitting a ruler.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma recounts that Satyavatī approaches him with tearful eyes, expresses maternal affection by touching/smelling his head, and joyfully congratulates him, saying that by good fortune he has achieved victory.