Shloka 24

Yayāti’s Abdication and Pūru’s Coronation (ययाति-पूोरु-राज्याभिषेकः)

Devanagari script

शर्मिष्ठोवाच येन केनचिदार्तानां ज्ञातीनां सुखमावहेत्‌ । अतत्त्वामनुयास्यामि यत्र दास्यति ते पिता,शर्मिष्ठा बोली--जिस किसी उपायसे भी सम्भव हो, अपने विपदग्रस्त जाति- भाइयोंको सुख पहुँचाना चाहिये। अतः तुम्हारे पिता जहाँ तुम्हें देंगे, वहाँ भी मैं तुम्हारे साथ चलूँगी

Transliteration

śarmiṣṭhovāca yena kenacid ārtānāṃ jñātīnāṃ sukham āvahet | atattvām anuyāsyāmi yatra dāsyati te pitā ||

Translation

Śarmiṣṭhā nói: “Bằng bất cứ cách nào có thể, người ta cũng nên đem lại an ủi cho bà con quyến thuộc khi họ lâm nạn. Vì vậy, cha nàng gả nàng đến đâu, ta cũng sẽ theo nàng đến đó.”

Word by Word

शर्मिष्ठाŚarmiṣṭhā

उवाचsaid

येनby which (means)

केनचित्by some (means), somehow

आर्तानाम्of the afflicted/distressed

ज्ञातीनाम्of kinsmen/relatives

सुखम्happiness, comfort

आवहेत्should bring/procure

अतःtherefore

तत्त्वाम्you

अनुयास्यामिI will follow

यत्रwhere

दास्यतिwill give (in marriage/hand over)

तेyour

पिताfather

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śarmiṣṭhā

your father (Devayānī’s father, i.e., Śukra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds a dharmic ethic of solidarity: one should, by any feasible means, bring relief and well-being to one’s relatives in times of hardship, even if it requires personal sacrifice and following another into an uncertain future.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śarmiṣṭhā declares that since her own people are in distress, she will accompany Devayānī wherever Devayānī’s father gives her—i.e., she vows to go with her even to the household where Devayānī is married, aligning herself as a follower/attendant.