Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.15.5-6
तस्य सत्यवतीं कन्यामृचीकोऽयाचत द्विज: ।
वरं विसदृशं मत्वा गाधिर्भार्गवमब्रवीत् ॥ ५ ॥
एकत: श्यामकर्णानां हयानां चन्द्रवर्चसाम् ।
सहस्रं दीयतां शुल्कं कन्याया: कुशिका वयम् ॥ ६ ॥
tasya satyavatīṁ kanyām
[tasya satyavateem kanyaam]
ṛcīko ’yācata dvijaḥ
[richeeko ’yaachata dvijah]
varaṁ visadṛśaṁ matvā
[varam visadrisham matvaa]
gādhir bhārgavam abravīt
[gaadhir bhaargavam abraveet]
ekataḥ śyāma-karṇānāṁ
[ekatah shyaama-karnaanaam]
hayānāṁ candra-varcasām
[hayaanaam chandra-varchasaam]
sahasraṁ dīyatāṁ śulkaṁ
[sahasram deeyataam shulkam]
kanyāyāḥ kuśikā vayam
[kanyaayaah kushikaa vayam]
Word-for-word
tasya
—
of Gādhi
satyavatīm
—
Satyavatī
kanyām
—
the daughter
ṛcīkaḥ
—
the great sage Ṛcīka
ayācata
—
requested
dvijaḥ
—
the brāhmaṇa
varam
—
as her husband
visadṛśam
—
not equal or fit
matvā
—
thinking like that
gādhiḥ
—
King Gādhi
bhārgavam
—
unto Ṛcīka
abravīt
—
replied
ekataḥ
—
by one
śyāma-karṇānām
—
whose ear is black
hayānām
—
horses
candra-varcasām
—
as brilliant as the moonshine
sahasram
—
one thousand
dīyatām
—
please deliver
śulkam
—
as a dowry
kanyāyāḥ
—
to my daughter
kuśikāḥ
—
in the family of Kuśa
vayam
—
we (are).
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tasya satyavatīṁ kanyām
tasya
of Gādhi
satyavatīm
Satyavatī
kanyām
the daughter
ṛcīko ’yācata dvijaḥ
ṛcīkaḥ
the great sage Ṛcīka
varaṁ visadṛśaṁ matvā
gādhir bhārgavam abravīt
ekataḥ śyāma-karṇānāṁ
hayānāṁ candra-varcasām
ayācata
requested
dvijaḥ
the brāhmaṇa
varam
as her husband
visadṛśam
not equal or fit
matvā
thinking like that
gādhiḥ
King Gādhi
bhārgavam
unto Ṛcīka
abravīt
replied
ekataḥ
by one
śyāma-karṇānām
whose ear is black
sahasraṁ dīyatāṁ śulkaṁ
hayānām
horses
candra-varcasām
as brilliant as the moonshine
sahasram
one thousand
dīyatām
please deliver
śulkam
as a dowry
kanyāyāḥ kuśikā vayam
kanyāyāḥ
to my daughter
kuśikāḥ
in the family of Kuśa
vayam
we (are).
King Gādhi had a daughter named Satyavatī, whom a brāhmaṇa sage named Ṛcīka requested from the King to be his wife. King Gādhi, however, regarded Ṛcīka as an unfit husband for his daughter, and therefore he told the brāhmaṇa, “My dear sir, I belong to the dynasty of Kuśa. Because we are aristocratic kṣatriyas, you have to give some dowry for my daughter. Therefore, bring at least one thousand horses, each as brilliant as moonshine and each having one black ear, whether right or left.”
Purport
The son of King Gādhi was Viśvāmitra, who was said to be a brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya combined. Viśvāmitra attained the status of a brahmarṣi, as explained later. From the marriage of Satyavatī with Ṛcīka Muni would come a son with the spirit of a kṣatriya. King Gādhi demanded that an uncommon request be fulfilled before the brāhmaṇa Ṛcīka could marry his daughter.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Gādhi had a daughter named Satyavatī, whom a brāhmaṇa sage named Ṛcīka requested from the King to be his wife. King Gādhi, however, regarded Ṛcīka as an unfit husband for his daughter, and therefore he told the brāhmaṇa, "My dear sir, I belong to the dynasty of Kuśa. Therefore, bring at least one thousand horses, each as brilliant as moonshine and each having one black ear, as a dowry."
It will be explained in a later chapter that the son of Gadhi, Viśvāmitra, became a brahmarṣi. In order to tell about the avatāra Paraśurāma coming in the dynasty of the daughter, first the story of the sage Ṛcīka is told. We are kṣatriyas of the Kuśa dynasty, very elevated. The horses should have one black ear, either left or right.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Gādhi demands a dowry of a thousand horses, each with a single black ear, designed to make the brāhmaṇa Ṛcīka give up. Sometimes elders set unreasonable conditions because they doubt the suitor — and sometimes the suitor turns out to be more than they imagined.
Reflection Questions
- Where am I setting unreasonable conditions because I would rather not say no outright?
- What seemingly impossible condition might the right person actually meet?
My note
Source: vedabase.io