Shloka 13

Devanagari script

आर्यक उवाच व्रियमाणे तथा पौत्रे पुत्रे च निधनं गते । कथमिच्छामि देवर्षे गुणकेशीं स्नुषां प्रति,आर्यक पुनः बोले--'देवर्षे! मेरा पुत्र मारा गया और पौत्रका भी उसी प्रकार मृत्युने वरण किया है; अतः मैं गुणकेशीको बहू बनानेकी इच्छा कैसे करूँ?

Transliteration

Āryaka uvāca: Vriyamāṇe tathā pautre putre ca nidhanaṁ gate | katham icchāmi devarṣe guṇakeśīṁ snuṣāṁ prati ||

Translation

ఆర్యకుడు అన్నాడు—దేవర్షీ! నా మనవడు మృతిప్రాయంగా ఉన్న వేళ, నా కుమారుడూ మరణించినప్పుడు, గుణకేశిని కోడలిగా కోరుట నేను ఎలా చేయగలను?

Word by Word

आर्यकःAryaka (name)

उवाचsaid/spoke

व्रियमाणेwhen (he) is being chosen/accepted (in marriage)

तथाlikewise/so

पौत्रेin/with regard to the grandson

पुत्रेin/with regard to the son

चand

निधनम्death

गतेwhen (he) has gone/has met (death)

कथम्how?

इच्छामिI desire/wish

देवर्षेO divine sage

गुणकेशीम्Guna-keshi (a woman; 'she who has excellent hair')

स्नुषाम्daughter-in-law

प्रतिtowards/with respect to

Speaker

आर्यक उवाच

Characters & Entities

आ

आर्यक (Āryaka)

द

देवर्षि (Devarṣi)

ग

गुणकेशी (Guṇakeśī)

प

पुत्र (son)

प

पौत्र (grandson)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical restraint and propriety: in the face of death and mourning, one should not pursue personal or political desires such as marriage arrangements; grief and duty to the deceased take precedence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Āryaka addresses a divine seer, explaining that his son has died and his grandson is dying (or likewise has met death), and therefore he cannot bring himself to seek Guṇakeśī as a daughter-in-law.