Shloka 21

Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu

Gṛhastha-Vrata

Devanagari script

तामग्निश्चकमे साक्षाद्‌ राजकन्यां सुदर्शनाम्‌ । भूत्वा च ब्राह्मणो राजन्‌ वरयामास तं नृपम्‌

Transliteration

tām agniś cakame sākṣād rājakaṇyāṃ sudarśanām | bhūtvā ca brāhmaṇo rājan varayāmāsa taṃ nṛpam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“火神阿耆尼亲自倾心于苏达尔珊那公主。大王啊，他化作婆罗门的形貌，前往那位君主之前，依礼正式求娶此女。此事表明，欲望甚至能驱动神祇；然而其追求仍被置于世所认可的正当程序之中——登门、请婚、得允——以彰显婚姻之事当以正道为重的伦理分量。”

Word by Word

• ताम्: her (that princess)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अग्निः: Agni (Fire-god)
• अग्निः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चकमे: desired, fell in love (with)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कम् (कान्तौ)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात्

• राजकन्याम्: the king's daughter, princess
• राजकन्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजकन्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सुदर्शनाम्: beautiful, fair to behold
• सुदर्शनाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदर्शना
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भूत्वा: having become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada/Ātmanepada-neutral

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वरयामास: chose/asked for (in marriage), sought
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वरणे)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तम्: him / that (king)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नृपम्: the king
• नृपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Agni (Fire-god)
• Sudarśanā (princess)
• the King (father of Sudarśanā)
• brāhmaṇa (guise/form)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when powerful desire arises, dharma emphasizes pursuing aims through legitimate, socially and ethically sanctioned means—here, a formal request for marriage rather than coercion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Agni becomes attracted to the princess Sudarśanā, takes on the appearance of a brāhmaṇa, and approaches her father (the king) to ask for her hand in marriage.