Shloka 146
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 181 — Svayaṃvara Aftermath: Arjuna–Karna Exchange and Bhīma–Śalya Contest
प्रसीद नृपतिश्रेष्ठ भर्तायं मे विसृज्यताम् । “मेरा ऋतुकाल प्राप्त है, मैं पतिके कष्टसे दुःख पा रही हूँ। मैं संतानकी इच्छासे पतिके समीप आयी थी और उनसे मिलकर अभी अपनी इच्छा पूर्ण नहीं कर पायी हूँ। नृपश्रेष्ठ! ऐसी दशामें आप मुझपर प्रसन्न होइये और मेरे इन पतिदेवताको छोड़ दीजिये'
prasīda nṛpatiśreṣṭha bhartāyaṁ me visṛjyatām |
乾闼婆说道：“愿大王垂怜，诸王之最胜者。请放还我这位夫君。我的受孕之期已至，而我因夫君之苦而痛楚。为求子嗣，我来到夫君身边，却仍未能与他交合以遂此愿。故此，大王，请在此情状中悦纳于我，放我之主离去。”
गन्धर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse appeals to royal dharma and compassion: a ruler should restrain force and act with fairness, especially in matters of marriage and bodily autonomy. It also foregrounds the ethical weight of a wife’s legitimate desire for progeny within the bounds of her marital relationship.
A Gandharva woman pleads with a king to release her husband. She explains that her fertile period has arrived and that she is distressed because separation and her husband’s suffering prevent marital union and the fulfillment of her wish for children.