Shloka 51

Amba approaches the Paraśurāma context; Hotravāhana’s counsel and Akṛtavraṇa’s report (अम्बोपाख्यानम्—रामदर्शनप्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

मया शाल्वपतिर्वीरो मनसाभिवृत: पति: । न मामहसि धर्मज्ञ दातुं भ्रात्रेडनयमानसाम्‌,“धर्मज्ञ! मैंने मन-ही-मन वीरवर शाल्वराजको अपना पति चुन लिया है; अतः मेरा मन अन्यत्र अनुरक्त होनेके कारण आपको अपने भाईके साथ मेरा विवाह नहीं करना चाहिये”

Transliteration

mayā śālvapatir vīro manasābhivṛtaḥ patiḥ | na mām arhasi dharmajña dātuṃ bhrātre ’nayamānasām ||

Translation

ข้าแต่ผู้รู้ธรรม ข้าได้เลือกกษัตริย์ศาลวะผู้กล้าเป็นสวามีไว้ในใจแล้ว เพราะจิตของข้าผูกพันอยู่ที่อื่น ท่านไม่ควรมอบข้าให้แต่งกับน้องชายของท่าน

Word by Word

मयाby me / I (as agent)

शाल्वपतिःthe lord/king of the Śālvas

वीरःheroic, brave (man)

मनसाwith the mind

अभिवृतःchosen, selected

पतिःhusband

नnot

माम्me

अर्हसिyou ought / you should

धर्मज्ञO knower of dharma

दातुम्to give (in marriage)

भ्रात्राby/with (my) brother

इदंthis (me/this one)

अयमानसाम्whose mind is not (turned) elsewhere / not consenting

Speaker

होत्रवाहन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Hotravāhana

Śālva-pati (King of Śālva)

bhrātṛ (the brother of the addressed dharmajña person)

Śālva (kingdom/people)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dharma in marriage: a woman’s inner choice and willingness are ethically significant, and a guardian should not arrange a marriage against her settled attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Hotravāhana declares that she has already accepted the king of Śālva in her heart as her husband and therefore urges the addressed ‘knower of dharma’ not to give her to his brother in marriage.