TEXTS 5–6
tasya satyavatim kanyam
rciko ’yacata dvijah
varam visadrsam matva
gadhir bhargavam abravit
ekatah syama-karnanam
hayanam candra-varcasam
sahasram diyatam sulkam
kanyayah kusika vayam
SYNONYMS
tasya—of Gadhi; satyavatim—Satyavati; kanyam—the daughter; rcikah—the great sage Rcika; ayacata—requested; dvijah—the brahmana; varam—as her husband; visadrsam—not equal or fit; matva—thinking like that; gadhih—King Gadhi; bhargavam—unto Rcika; abravit—replied; ekatah—by one; syama-karnanam—whose ear is black; hayanam—horses; candra-varcasam—as brilliant as the moonshine; sahasram—one thousand; diyatam—please deliver; sulkam—as a dowry; kanyayah—to my daughter; kusikah—in the family of Kusa; vayam—we (are).
TRANSLATION
King Gadhi had a daughter named Satyavati, whom a brahmana sage named Rcika requested from the King to be his wife. King Gadhi, however, regarded Rcika as an unfit husband for his daughter, and therefore he told the brahmana, “My dear sir, I belong to the dynasty of Kusa. Because we are aristocratic ksatriyas, 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 Gadhi was Visvamitra, who was said to be a brahmana and ksatriya combined. Visvamitra attained the status of a brahmarsi, as explained later. From the marriage of Satyavati with Rcika Muni would come a son with the spirit of a ksatriya. King Gadhi demanded that an uncommon request be fulfilled before the brahmana Rcika could marry his daughter.
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