यदात्थ राजन् मयि तत्तथैव मन्येऽहमेतत्तु यथा वचस्ते । नास्मि स्वतन्त्रा त्वमवेहि कामं दाता पिता मेऽर्थय तं त्वमाशु
O king, what you have said to me, I consider just so, as your words declare; but know truly, I am not independent—my father is the giver; seek his consent quickly.
न स्वैरिणीहास्म्यपि दाशपुत्री पितुर्वशेऽहं सततं चरामि । स चेद्ददाति प्रथितः पिता मे गृहाण पाणिं वशगास्मि तेऽहम्
Though I am the daughter of a ferryman, I am not free; I always act under my father's authority. If my renowned father gives his consent, take my hand—I am yours to command.
मनोभवस्त्वां नृप किं दुनोति यथा पुनर्मां नवयौवनां च । दुनोति तत्रापि हि रक्षणीया धृतिः कुलाचारपरम्परासु
O King, why does the god of love trouble you as he does me, now that I am in the bloom of youth? Even in such matters, one must preserve self-control and uphold the traditions of the family.
सूत उवाच इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्या नृपति काममोहितः । गतो दाशपतेर्गेहं तस्या याचनहेतवे
Sūta said: Hearing her words, the king, overcome by desire, went to the house of the ferryman to make his request.
दृष्ट्वा नृपतिमायान्तं दाशोऽतिविस्मयं गतः । प्रणामं नृपतेः कृत्वा कृताञ्जलिरभाषत
Seeing the king approaching, the ferryman was greatly astonished; bowing with joined palms, he spoke to the king.
दाश उवाच दासोऽस्मि तव भूपाल कृतार्थोऽहं तवागमे । आज्ञां देहि महाराज यदर्थमिह चागमः
The ferryman said: I am your servant, O king; your arrival has fulfilled my wishes. Command me, great king—what is the purpose of your coming here?
राजोवाच धर्मपत्नीं करिष्यामि सुतामेतां तवानघ । त्वया चेद्दीयते मह्यं सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीमि ते
The king said: O sinless one, if you give her to me, I will make your daughter my lawful wife. I speak this truthfully to you.
दाश उवाच कन्यारत्नं मदीयं चेद्यत्त्वं प्रार्थयसे नृप । दातव्यं तु प्रदास्यामि न त्वदेयं कदाचन
The ferryman said: O king, if you desire my precious daughter, I am indeed ready to give her; but she is not to be given to you under ordinary terms.
तस्याः पुत्रो महाराज त्वदन्ते पृथिवीपतिः । सर्वथा चाभिषेक्तव्यो नान्यः पुत्रस्तवेति वै
Her son, O great king, must become king after you; he alone must be anointed as your successor—no other son of yours.
सूत उवाच श्रुत्वावाक्यं तु दाशस्य राजा चिन्तातुरोऽभवत् । गाङ्गेयं मनसा कृत्वा नोवाच नृपतिस्तदा
Sūta said: Hearing the ferryman's words, the king became troubled with anxiety; thinking of Gāṅgeya, he did not reply at that time.
कामातुरो गृहं प्राप्तश्चिन्ताविष्टो महीपतिः । न सस्नौ बुभुजे नाथ न सुष्वाप गृहं गतः
Tormented by desire and filled with worry, the king returned home; he neither bathed, nor ate, nor slept after entering his house.
चिन्तातुरं तु तं दृष्ट्वा पुत्रो देवव्रतस्तदा । गत्वापृच्छन्महीपालं तदसन्तोषकारणम्
Seeing his father so troubled, Devavrata approached the king and asked him the reason for his dissatisfaction.
दुर्जयः कोऽस्ति शत्रुस्ते करोमि वशगं तव । का चिन्ता नृपशार्दूल सत्यं वद नृपोत्तम
Who is this unconquerable enemy, O king, whom I should subdue for you? What is your worry, tiger among kings? Speak the truth, best of rulers.
किं तेन जातेन सुतेन राजन् दुःखं न जानाति न नाशयेद्यः । ऋणं ग्रहीतुं समुपागतोऽसौ प्राग्जन्मजं नात्र विचारणास्ति
What is the use, O king, of a son who neither knows suffering nor removes it? He has come to take on the debt from a previous birth—there is no doubt about this.
विमुच्य राज्यं रघुनन्दनोऽपि ताताज्ञया दाशरथिस्तु रामः । वनं गतो लक्ष्मणजानकीभ्यां सहैव शैलं किल चित्रकूटम्
Even Rāma, son of Daśaratha, gave up the kingdom at his father's command and went to the forest with Lakṣmaṇa and Jānakī, to the mountain called Citrakūṭa.
सुतो हरिश्चन्द्रनृपस्य राजन् यो रोहितश्चेति प्रसिद्धनामा । क्रीतोऽथ पित्रा विपणोद्यतश्च दासार्पितो विप्रगृहे तु नूनम्
O king, the son of King Hariścandra, well known as Rohita, was sold by his father, offered as a slave, and given to a brāhmaṇa's house.
तथाजिगर्तस्य सुतो वरिष्ठो नाम्ना शुनःशेप इति प्रसिद्धः । क्रीतस्तु पित्राप्यथ यूपबद्धः सम्मोचितो गाधिसुतेन पश्चात्
Similarly, the most excellent son of Jīgarta, famed as Śunaḥśepa, was bought by his father, bound to the sacrificial post, and later released by the son of Gādhi.
पित्राज्ञया जामदग्न्येन पूर्वं छिन्नं शिरो मातुरिति प्रसिद्धम् । अकार्यमप्याचरितं च तेन गुरोरनुज्ञा च गरीयसी कृता
It is well known that Jāmadagnya, at his father's command, once cut off his mother's head. Though it was a wrongful act, he did it, for the guru's command is weightier.
इदं शरीरं तव भूपते न क्षमोऽस्मि नूनं वद किं करोम्यहम् । न शोचनीयं मयि वर्तमाने- ऽप्यसाध्यमर्थं प्रतिपादयाम्यदः
O king, this body of yours—I am surely not worthy of it. Tell me, what shall I do? While I am here, you need not grieve; I will accomplish even the impossible for you.
प्रब्रूहि राजंस्तव कास्ति चिन्ता निवारयाम्यद्य धनुर्गृहीत्वा । देहेन मे चेच्चरितार्थता वा भवत्वमोघा भवतश्चिकीर्षा
Tell me, king, what is your worry? Today I will remove it, taking up my bow. If my body can fulfill your purpose, let your wish not go in vain.
धिक् तं सुतं यः पितुरीप्सितार्थं क्षमोऽपि सन्न प्रतिपादयेद्यः । जातेन किं तेन सुतेन कामं पितुर्न चिन्तां हि समुद्धरेद्यः
Shame upon that son who, though capable, does not fulfill his father's desired purpose; what use is there in such a son, who, though born, does not relieve his father's anxiety?
सूत उवाच निशम्येति वचस्तस्य पुत्रस्य शन्तनुर्नृपः । लज्जमानस्तु मनसा तमाह त्वरितं सुतम्
Sūta said: Hearing these words of his son, King Śantanu, feeling embarrassed in his heart, quickly addressed him.
राजोवाच चिन्ता मे महती पुत्र यस्त्वमेकोऽसि मे सुतः । शूरोऽतिबलवान्मानी संग्रामेष्वपराङ्मुखः
The king said: Great is my anxiety, my son, for you are my only child; you are brave, exceedingly strong, and proud, yet you turn away from battle.
एकापत्यस्य मे तात वृथेदं जीवितं किल । मृते त्वयि मृधे क्वापि किं करोमि निराश्रयः
O child, my life depends on having only one son; if you die in battle somewhere, what will I do, left without support?
एषा मे महती चिन्ता तेनाद्य दुःखितोऽत्म्यहम् । नान्या चिन्तास्ति मे पुत्र यां तवाग्रे वदाम्यहम्
This is my great concern, and because of it I am sorrowful today; there is no other worry I have, my son, which I speak before you.
सूत उवाच तदाकर्ण्याथ गाङ्गेयो मन्त्रिवृद्धानपृच्छत । न मां वदति भूपालो लज्जयाद्य परिप्लुतः
Sūta said: Hearing this, Gāṅgeya then asked the aged ministers, 'The king does not speak to me, overwhelmed by embarrassment today.'
वित्त वार्तां नृपस्याद्य पृष्ट्वा यूयं विनिश्चयात् । सत्यं ब्रुवन्तु मां सर्वं तत्करोमि निराकुलः
Ask the king about his concerns today, and with certainty speak the truth to me; tell me everything, and I will act without hesitation.
तच्छ्रुत्वा ते नृपं गत्वा संविज्ञाय च कारणम् । शशंसुर्विदितार्थस्तु गाङ्गेयस्तदचिन्तयत्
Hearing this, they went to the king, learned the reason, and informed Gāṅgeya, who then pondered the matter.
सहितस्तैर्जगामाशु दाशस्य सदनं तदा । प्रेमपूर्वमुवाचेदं विनम्रो जाह्नवीसुतः
Together with them, he quickly went to the house of the fisherman, and, bowing with affection, the son of Jahnavi spoke these words.
गाङ्गेय उवाच पित्रे देहि सुतां तेऽद्य प्रार्थयामि सुमध्यमाम् । माता मेऽस्तु सुतेयं ते दासोऽत्म्यस्याः परन्तप
Gāṅgeya said: Give your daughter to my father today, I request the fair-waisted one; let her be my mother, and I will be her servant, O scorcher of foes.