Shloka 17

ययातेर्वानप्रस्थतपःस्वर्गारोहणम् | Yayāti’s Vānaprastha Austerities and Ascent to Heaven

Devanagari script

देवयान्युवाच द्वाभ्यां कन्‍न्यासहस्राभ्यां दास्या शर्मिछ्ठया सह । त्वदधीनास्मि भद्रें ते सखा भर्ता च मे भव

Transliteration

devayāny uvāca—dvābhyāṁ kanyāsahasrābhyāṁ dāsyā śarmiṣṭhayā saha | tvad-adhīnāsmi bhadre te sakhā bhartā ca me bhava ||

Translation

เทวยานีกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่พระราชา ขอความสวัสดีจงมีแก่ท่าน ข้าพร้อมด้วยนางกำนัลสองพันนาง และพร้อมด้วยนางรับใช้ชื่อศรมิษฐา ขออยู่ใต้พระบารมีของท่าน ขอท่านจงเป็นทั้งสหายและสวามีของข้า”

Word by Word

• देवयानी: Devayānī
• देवयानी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवयानी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• द्वाभ्याम्: with two
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Dual

• कन्यासहस्राभ्याम्: with two thousand maidens
• कन्यासहस्राभ्याम्: Sahacarya
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यासहस्र
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Dual

• दास्या: with (my) maidservant
• दास्या: Sahacarya
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• शर्मिष्ठया: Śarmiṣṭhā
• शर्मिष्ठया: Sahacarya
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्मिष्ठा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• त्वत्: of you / your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• अधीन: dependent, under control
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधीन
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्मि: I am
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भद्रे: O noble one / O good sir
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• सखा: friend
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भर्ता: husband
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मे: my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• भव: be (become)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Devayānī
• Śarmiṣṭhā
• the king (Yayāti, implied addressee)
• two thousand maidens (kanyāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames marriage as a dharmic bond of protection and companionship: Devayānī seeks lawful shelter under the king, asking him to become both friend and husband, highlighting the king’s duty to protect those who submit to his care.

What is happening in the narrative?

Devayānī addresses the king (Yayāti) and declares her dependence on him, offering herself along with a large retinue of maidens and her attendant Śarmiṣṭhā, and requests that he accept her as his wife and companion.