Shloka 27
कल्माषपाद-शाप-कारणम्
Cause of Kalmāṣapāda’s Niyoga under a Curse
प्रतिजग्राह तां कन्यां महर्षिस्तपतीं तदा । वसिष्ठो5थ विसृष्टस्तु पुनरेवाजगाम ह
pratijagrāha tāṃ kanyāṃ maharṣis tapatīṃ tadā | vasiṣṭho 'tha visṛṣṭas tu punar evājagāma ha ||
Pada ketika itu, maharṣi Vasiṣṭha menerima gadis Tapatī. Setelah dilepaskan dengan sewajarnya, beliau kembali lagi bersamanya ke tempat yang sama, tempat Raja Saṃvaraṇa—termashur dan terunggul dalam kalangan Kuru—duduk dikuasai asmara, diam-diam merenungi Tapatī dalam hati.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The episode highlights the dharmic role of a sage as mediator: personal desire in a king is to be guided and regularized through proper counsel and lawful marriage arrangements, rather than allowed to remain as uncontrolled obsession.
Vasiṣṭha formally accepts responsibility for the maiden Tapatī and, after being granted leave, returns with her to the place where King Saṃvaraṇa sits absorbed in thoughts of her, setting the stage for their meeting and the marriage arrangement.