Shloka 41

Devanagari script

चतुर्वर्षशतायुर्मे भर्ता लब्धश्न सत्यवान्‌ | भर्तुर्हि जीवितार्थ तु मया चीर्ण त्विदं ब्रतम्‌,पाँचवें वरके रूपमें मुझे मेरे पति सत्यवान्‌ चार सौ वर्षोकी आयु लेकर प्राप्त हुए हैं। पतिके जीवनकी रक्षाके लिये ही मैंने यह व्रत किया था

Transliteration

caturvarṣaśatāyur me bhartā labdhaḥ śn satyavān | bhartur hi jīvitārthaṃ tu mayā cīrṇaṃ tv idaṃ vratam |

Translation

അഞ്ചാമത്തെ വരമായി എനിക്ക് ഭർത്താവ് സത്യവാൻ നാലുനൂറു വർഷത്തെ ആയുസ്സോടെ ലഭിച്ചു. സത്യത്തിൽ, ഭർത്താവിന്റെ ജീവൻ രക്ഷിക്കാനായി മാത്രമാണ് ഞാൻ ഈ വ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചത്।

Word by Word

• {'catur-varṣa-śata-āyuḥ': 'having a lifespan of four hundred years', 'me': 'for me

• my', 'bhartā': 'husband

• lord (of the household)', 'labdhaḥ': 'obtained

• gained', 'satyavān': 'Satyavān (proper name

• ‘truthful one’)', 'bhartuḥ': 'of the husband', 'hi': 'indeed

• for', 'jīvita-arthaṃ': 'for the sake of life

• for preserving life', 'tu': 'but

• indeed (emphatic)', 'mayā': 'by me', 'cīrṇam': 'practised

• performed (of a vow/discipline)', 'idam': 'this', 'vratam': 'vow

Speaker

गौतम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Satyavān

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic resolve expressed through vrata: disciplined, purposeful observance undertaken for the welfare of another—here, the safeguarding of a spouse’s life—showing that ethical intention and steadfast practice are central to religious merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Gautama states that, as a boon, she obtained Satyavān as her husband with a greatly extended lifespan, and she clarifies that her prior vow was performed specifically to secure and protect her husband’s life.