Shloka 8
Yakṣa-saṃvāda: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Interrogation at the Guarded Water
अश्वपतिर्वाच सावित्री नाम राजर्षे कन्येयं मम शोभना । तां स्वधर्मेण धर्मज्ञ स्नुषार्थे त्वं गृहाण मे,अश्वपति बोले--धर्मज्ञ राजर्षे! सावित्री नामसे प्रसिद्ध मेरी यह सुन्दरी कन्या है। इसे आप धर्मतः अपनी पुत्रवधू बनानेके लिये स्वीकार करें
aśvapatir uvāca—sāvitrī nāma rājarṣe kanyeyaṁ mama śobhanā | tāṁ svadharmeṇa dharmajña snuṣārthe tvaṁ gṛhāṇa me ||
Aśvapati nói: “Bạch bậc hiền triết vương giả, đây là ái nữ xinh đẹp của ta, nổi danh với tên Sāvitrī. Bậc am tường dharma, xin ngài theo đúng lễ nghi chính đạo mà nhận nàng từ ta, để nàng trở thành nàng dâu trong gia thất của ngài.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma as the governing principle of marriage alliances: even in royal contexts, the giving and accepting of a bride is framed as a lawful, ethically grounded act (svadharmeṇa), addressed to one who is expected to understand and uphold dharma (dharmajña).
King Aśvapati formally presents his daughter Sāvitrī to a royal sage and requests that she be accepted as a daughter-in-law, indicating a marriage arrangement being sought and conducted according to proper custom and righteousness.