FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.18.20-21

तं वीरमाहौशनसी प्रेमनिर्भरया गिरा । राजंस्त्वया गृहीतो मे पाणि: परपुरञ्जय ॥ २० ॥ हस्तग्राहोऽपरो मा भूद् गृहीतायास्त्वया हि मे । एष ईशकृतो वीर सम्बन्धो नौ न पौरुष: ॥ २१ ॥
taṁ vīram āhauśanasī
[tam veeram aahaushanasee]
prema-nirbharayā girā
[prema-nirbharayaa giraa]
rājaṁs tvayā gṛhīto me
[raajams tvayaa griheeto me]
pāṇiḥ para-purañjaya
[paanih para-puranjaya]
hasta-grāho ’paro mā bhūd
[hasta-graaho ’paro maa bhood]
gṛhītāyās tvayā hi me
[griheetaayaas tvayaa hi me]
eṣa īśa-kṛto vīra
[esha eesha-krito veera]
sambandho nau na pauruṣaḥ
[sambandho nau na paurushah]
Word-for-word
tam — unto him vīram — Yayāti āha — said auśanasī — the daughter of Uśanā Kavi, Śukrācārya prema-nirbharayā — saturated with love and kindness girā — by such words rājan — O King tvayā — by you gṛhītaḥ — accepted me — my pāṇiḥ — hand para-purañjaya — the conqueror of the kingdoms of others hasta-grāhaḥ — he who accepted my hand aparaḥ — another mā — may not bhūt — become gṛhītāyāḥ — accepted tvayā — by you hi — indeed me — of me eṣaḥ — this īśa-kṛtaḥ — arranged by providence vīra — O great hero sambandhaḥ — relationship nau — our na — not pauruṣaḥ — anything man-made.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
taṁ vīram āhauśanasī
tam
unto him
vīram
Yayāti
āha
said
auśanasī
the daughter of Uśanā Kavi, Śukrācārya
prema-nirbharayā girā
prema-nirbharayā
saturated with love and kindness
girā
by such words
rājaṁs tvayā gṛhīto me
rājan
O King
tvayā
by you
gṛhītaḥ
accepted
me
my
pāṇiḥ para-purañjaya
pāṇiḥ
hand
para-purañjaya
the conqueror of the kingdoms of others
hasta-grāho ’paro mā bhūd
hasta-grāhaḥ
he who accepted my hand
gṛhītāyās tvayā hi me
eṣa īśa-kṛto vīra
sambandho nau na pauruṣaḥ
aparaḥ
another
mā
may not
bhūt
become
gṛhītāyāḥ
accepted
tvayā
by you
hi
indeed
me
of me
eṣaḥ
this
īśa-kṛtaḥ
arranged by providence
vīra
O great hero
sambandhaḥ
relationship
nau
our
na
not
pauruṣaḥ
anything man-made.
With words saturated with love and affection, Devayānī said to King Yayāti: O great hero, O King, conqueror of the cities of your enemies, by accepting my hand you have accepted me as your married wife. Let me not be touched by others, for our relationship as husband and wife has been made possible by providence, not by any human being.
Purport

While taking Devayānī out of the well, King Yayāti must certainly have appreciated her youthful beauty, and therefore he might have asked her which caste she belonged to. Thus Devayānī would have immediately replied, “We are already married because you have accepted my hand.” Uniting the hands of the bride and bridegroom is a system perpetually existing in all societies. Therefore, as soon as Yayāti accepted Devayānī’s hand, they could be regarded as married. Because Devayānī was enamored with the hero Yayāti, she requested him not to change his mind and let another come to marry her.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
With words saturated with affection, Devayānī said to King Yayāti: O great hero, O King! Conqueror of the cities of your enemies! You have accepted my hand. May no one else accept my hand which has been accepted by you. This relationship has been created by the Lord, not by any human. The King asked her about her family. She replied that she was the daughter of Śukrācārya (auśanasī).
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Touched by the hand, Devayānī declares them married — providence has acted, no human intervention can undo it. Sometimes a single physical act is interpreted by another party as a binding commitment we did not foresee.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have I made gestures that another party has reasonably interpreted as binding?
  • Have I been careful enough about what my touches and acts may be promising?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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