Shloka 4
नारदकथितं माधव्याः तपश्चर्या–ययातेः स्वर्गविचारः | Nārada on Mādhavī’s Asceticism and the Scrutiny of Yayāti in Heaven
पुरा हि कान्यकुब्जे वै गाधे: सत्यवतीं सुताम् । भार्यार्थेडवरयत् कन्यामृचीकस्तेन भाषित:,'पूर्वकालकी बात है, कान्यकुब्जमें राजा गाधिकी कुमारी पुत्री सत्यवतीको अपनी पत्नी बनानेके लिये ऋचीक मुनिने राजासे उसे माँगा। तब राजाने ऋचीकसे कहा --
purā hi kānyakubje vai gādheḥ satyavatīṃ sutām | bhāryārthe ’varayat kanyām ṛcīkas tena bhāṣitaḥ |
Nārada berkata: Pada zaman dahulu, di Kānyakubja, resi Ṛcīka meminang gadis Satyavatī—puteri Raja Gādhi—untuk dijadikan isteri. Apabila Ṛcīka menyampaikan permintaannya, raja menjawab dengan menetapkan syarat-syarat sebagai ujian kelayakan, menyingkap ketegangan etika antara ketentuan diraja, martabat sosial, dan kesucian perkahwinan.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse introduces a dharmic dilemma often seen in Itihāsa: marriage is sacred, yet worldly considerations (rank, conditions imposed by a king, and the testing of a suitor) can complicate it. It frames an ethical inquiry into what constitutes true worth—birth and power, or tapas and character.
Nārada begins recounting an old episode: in Kānyakubja, the sage Ṛcīka asks King Gādhi for his daughter Satyavatī’s hand in marriage. The king responds, implying that conditions or a challenge will follow.