FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.22.9

प्रियव्रतोत्तानपदो: स्वसेयं दुहिता मम । अन्विच्छति पतिं युक्तं वय: शीलगुणादिभि: ॥ ९ ॥
priyavratottānapadoḥ
[priyavratottaanapadoh]
svaseyaṁ duhitā mama
[svaseyam duhitaa mama]
anvicchati patiṁ yuktaṁ
[anvichchati patim yuktam]
vayaḥ-śīla-guṇādibhiḥ
[vayah-sheela-gunaadibhih]
priyavrata-uttānapadoḥ — of Priyavrata and Uttānapāda svasā — sister iyam — this duhitā — daughter mama — my anvicchati — is seeking patim — husband yuktam — suited vayaḥ-śīla-guṇa-ādibhiḥ — by age, character, good qualities, etc.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
priyavratottānapadoḥ
priyavrata-uttānapadoḥ
of Priyavrata and Uttānapāda
svaseyaṁ duhitā mama
svasā
sister
iyam
this
duhitā
daughter
mama
my
anvicchati patiṁ yuktaṁ
anvicchati
is seeking
patim
husband
yuktam
suited
vayaḥ-śīla-guṇādibhiḥ
vayaḥ-śīla-guṇa-ādibhiḥ
by age, character, good qualities, etc.
My daughter is the sister of Priyavrata and Uttānapāda. She is seeking a suitable husband in terms of age, character and good qualities.

The grown-up daughter of Svāyambhuva Manu, Devahūti, had good character and was well qualified; therefore she was searching for a suitable husband just befitting her age, qualities and character. The purpose of Manu’s introducing his daughter as the sister of Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, two great kings, was to convince the sage that the girl came from a great family. She was his daughter and at the same time the sister of kṣatriyas; she did not come from a lower-class family. Manu therefore offered her to Kardama as just suitable for his purpose. It is clear that although the daughter was mature in age and qualities, she did not go out and find her husband independently. She expressed her desire for a suitable husband corresponding to her character, age and quality, and the father himself, out of affection for his daughter, took charge of finding such a husband.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The sister of Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, my daughter, is seeking a husband suitable in age, conduct and qualities. Unnecessary worries are removed by mentioning that she has two brothers. By mentioned that it is his daughter, he indicates that a kṣatriya’s daughter is suitable for the sage.
The verse keeps pointing past mechanism to purpose: what is all this for? Human life, it says, is the rare chance to ask that question and act on the answer.
Reflection Questions
  • What is your actual working answer to 'what is this human life for?'
  • What would change if the question 'what is this for?' came back at the start of each task?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 22