Shloka 25

Akṛtavraṇa’s Account Begins: Gādhi–Satyavatī–Ṛcīka and the Bhārgava Lineage Prelude

Devanagari script

ऋचीक उवाच एकत: श्यामकर्णाना पाण्डुराणां तरस्विनाम्‌ | दास्याम्यश्वसहस्ं ते मम भार्या सुतास्तु ते,ऋचीक बोले--राजन्‌! मैं आपको एक ओरसे श्याम कर्णवाले पाण्डुरंगके वेगशाली अश्व एक हजारकी संख्यामें अर्पित करूँगा। आपकी पुत्री मेरी धर्मपत्नी बने

Transliteration

ṛcīka uvāca | ekataḥ śyāma-karṇānāṃ pāṇḍurāṇāṃ tarasvinām | dāsyāmy aśva-sahasraṃ te mama bhāryā sutāstu te ||

Translation

ருசீகர் கூறினார்—“அரசே! ஒருபுறம் கருங்காதுகள் கொண்ட, பாண்டுர நிறமுடைய, வேகமிகு குதிரைகள் ஆயிரத்தை உமக்கு அளிப்பேன். அதற்குப் பதிலாக உமது மகள் என் தர்மபத்னியாகட்டும்.”

Word by Word

ऋचीकःR̥cīka (name)

उवाचsaid

एकतःon one side; from one side

श्यामकर्णानाम्of black-eared (horses)

पाण्डुराणाम्of pale/whitish (horses)

तरस्विनाम्of swift/impetuous (horses)

दास्यामिI will give

अश्वसहस्रम्a thousand horses

तेto you

ममof me; my

भार्याwife

सुताःdaughter

तुbut; indeed

तेyour

Speaker

ऋचीक उवाच

Characters & Entities

ऋ

ऋचीक (R̥cīka)

र

राजन् (the king)

अ

अश्वसहस्र (a thousand horses)

र

राजकन्या / सुतā (the king’s daughter)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic marriage as a socially regulated bond, framed here through a negotiated exchange: the offer of valuable horses is presented as a legitimate means to seek a lawful wife, reflecting norms of alliance, consent, and status in epic society.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sage R̥cīka addresses a king and proposes marriage to the king’s daughter, offering a thousand swift, pale horses with dark ears as the gift/consideration, and asks that the daughter be given to him as his lawful wife.