FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.3.20

चिकीर्षितं ते किमिदं पतिस्त्वया प्रलम्भितो लोकनमस्कृतो मुनि: । यत् त्वं जराग्रस्तमसत्यसम्मतं विहाय जारं भजसेऽमुमध्वगम् ॥ २० ॥
cikīrṣitaṁ te kim idaṁ patis tvayā
[chikeershitam te kim idam patis tvayaa]
pralambhito loka-namaskṛto muniḥ
[pralambhito loka-namaskrito munih]
yat tvaṁ jarā-grastam asaty asammataṁ
[yat tvam jaraa-grastam asaty asammatam]
vihāya jāraṁ bhajase ’mum adhvagam
[vihaaya jaaram bhajase ’mum adhvagam]
cikīrṣitam — which you desire to do te — of you kim idam — what is this patiḥ — your husband tvayā — by you pralambhitaḥ — has been cheated loka-namaskṛtaḥ — who is honored by all people muniḥ — a great sage yat — because tvam — you jarā-grastam — very old and invalid asati — O unchaste daughter asammatam — not very attractive vihāya — giving up jāram — paramour bhajase — you have accepted amum — this man adhvagam — comparable to a street beggar.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
cikīrṣitaṁ te kim idaṁ patis tvayā
cikīrṣitam
which you desire to do
te
of you
kim idam
what is this
patiḥ
your husband
tvayā
by you
pralambhito loka-namaskṛto muniḥ
pralambhitaḥ
has been cheated
loka-namaskṛtaḥ
who is honored by all people
muniḥ
a great sage
yat tvaṁ jarā-grastam asaty asammataṁ
yat
because
tvam
you
jarā-grastam
very old and invalid
asati
O unchaste daughter
asammatam
not very attractive
vihāya jāraṁ bhajase ’mum adhvagam
vihāya
giving up
jāram
paramour
bhajase
you have accepted
amum
this man
adhvagam
comparable to a street beggar.
O unchaste girl, what is this that you have desired to do? You have cheated the most respectable husband, who is honored by everyone, for I see that because he was old, diseased and therefore unattractive, you have left his company to accept as your husband this young man, who appears to be a beggar from the street.

This shows the values of Vedic culture. According to the circumstances, Sukanyā had been given a husband who was too old to be compatible with her. Because Cyavana Muni was diseased and very old, he was certainly unfit for the beautiful daughter of King Śaryāti. Nonetheless, her father expected her to be faithful to her husband. When he suddenly saw that his daughter had accepted someone else, even though the man was young and handsome, he immediately chastised her as asatī, unchaste, because he assumed that she had accepted another man in the presence of her husband. According to Vedic culture, even if a young woman is given an old husband, she must respectfully serve him. This is chastity. It is not that because she dislikes her husband she may give him up and accept another. This is against Vedic culture. According to Vedic culture, a woman must accept the husband given to her by her parents and remain chaste and faithful to him. Therefore King Śaryāti was surprised to see a young man by the side of Sukanyā.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O unchaste girl! What have you have desired to do? You have cheated your husband, who is honored by everyone, because giving up your husband who was old, your have accepted as your husband this traveler respected by liars. You have cheated your husband, because you have given up an old husband and accepted this lover, respected by the liars (asatya-sammatam).
Śaryāti rebukes his daughter as unchaste for trading an aged husband for a young man. A father's anxiety about appearances can pour out as accusation before facts emerge.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I jumping to accuse someone I love based on what it looks like?
  • What would slow me down enough to ask before I rebuke?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 3