Shloka 17

अम्बोपाख्याने तापसानां विचारः तथा होत्रवाहनस्य उपदेशः

Ambā among ascetics; Hotravāhana directs her to Paraśurāma

Devanagari script

न चान्यपूर्वा राजेन्द्र त्वामहं समुपस्थिता । सत्यं ब्रवीमि शाल्वैतत्‌ सत्येनात्मानमालभे

Transliteration

na cānyapūrvā rājendra tvām ahaṃ samupasthitā | satyaṃ bravīmi śālva etat satyenātmānam ālabhe ||

Translation

ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ— “ਹੇ ਰਾਜੇਂਦ੍ਰ! ਹੇ ਸ਼ਾਲਵ! ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਮੈਂ ਕਿਸੇ ਹੋਰ ਪੁਰੁਸ਼ ਦੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਰਹੀ। ਆਪਣੀ ਇੱਛਾ ਨਾਲ ਮੈਂ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਵਾਰ ਤੇਰੀ ਹੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਹਾਜ਼ਰ ਹੋਈ ਹਾਂ। ਹੇ ਸ਼ਾਲਵ! ਇਹ ਮੈਂ ਸੱਚ ਕਹਿੰਦੀ ਹਾਂ; ਅਤੇ ਇਸੇ ਸੱਚ ਦੇ ਬਲ ਤੇ ਮੈਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਪਥ ਲੈਂਦੀ ਹਾਂ।”

Word by Word

• {'na': 'not', 'ca': 'and', 'anyapūrvā': 'previously connected with another

• having had another before (i.e., not previously claimed by another man)', 'rājendra': 'O best of kings

• O king', 'tvām': 'you (accusative singular)', 'aham': 'I', 'samupasthitā': 'approached

• come into attendance/service (feminine past participle)', 'satyam': 'truth

• truly', 'bravīmi': 'I speak

• I say', 'śālva': 'O Śālva (vocative

• name of a king)', 'etat': 'this', 'satyena': 'by truth

• with truth (instrumental)', 'ātmānam': 'myself

• my own person/body (accusative)', 'ālabhe': 'I touch/lay hold of

• I invoke as a solemn oath (idiomatically: ‘I swear by…’)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Śālva
• rājendra (a king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds satya (truthfulness) as an ethical foundation: a solemn claim is strengthened by invoking truth as an oath, emphasizing personal honor, credibility, and moral accountability.

What is happening in the narrative?

A woman (as quoted within Bhīṣma’s narration) addresses King Śālva, asserting that no other man has previously had a claim over her and that she has approached him voluntarily; she seals this assertion by swearing upon herself through the power of truth.