Shloka 114
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
नाहं दद्यां प्रियं पुत्र मम प्राणैर्गरीयसम् । समय: क्रियतामेष न शक््यमतिवर्तितुम्
nāhaṃ dadyāṃ priyaṃ putra mama prāṇair garīyasam | samayaḥ kriyatām eṣa na śakyam ativartitum ||
毗湿摩波耶那说道：“我所钟爱的儿子，比我的性命更为珍贵；因此我不能将他久留于外。须为他在凡世的停驻定下期限——一经约定，便不可逾越。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even intense personal attachment must operate within dharma: if something must be given or permitted, it should be bounded by a clear, mutually accepted samaya (stipulated term). Once a condition is set, ethical integrity requires that it not be violated.
The speaker refuses to part with his beloved son for an extended period, insisting instead on fixing a definite duration for the son’s stay in the mortal world, emphasizing that the agreed limit is binding and cannot be exceeded.