Shloka 24
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 13: Śacī’s Delay, Deva-Counsel, and Indra’s Purification
यदि दत्तं यदि हुतं गुरवस्तोषिता यदि । एकभार्त॑त्वमेवास्तु सत्यं यद्यस्ति वा मयि,तत्पश्चात् वे इस प्रकार बोलीं--“यदि मैंने दान दिया हो, होम किया हो, गुरुजनोंको संतुष्ट रखा हो तथा मुझमें सत्य विद्यमान हो, तो मेरा पातिव्रत्य सुरक्षित रहे
yadi dattaṃ yadi hutaṃ guravas toṣitā yadi | ekabhartṛtvam evāstu satyaṃ yady asti vā mayi ||
Nahusha berkata: “Jika benar aku telah memberi sedekah, jika benar aku telah mempersembahkan korban suci, jika aku telah menyenangkan para guru dan orang tua yang mulia, dan jika kebenaran memang bersemayam dalam diriku—maka biarlah kesetiaanku kepada seorang suami sahaja tetap utuh, tidak tercemar.”
नहुष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a moral self-attestation: ritual merit (charity and sacrifice), reverence to elders/teachers, and truthfulness are invoked as ethical foundations that safeguard one’s vow of exclusive marital fidelity (ekabhartṛtvam).
Nahusha utters a conditional declaration—calling upon the merit of past righteous acts and the presence of truth within himself—as a solemn affirmation that his (or the invoked) marital fidelity should remain protected and unbroken.