TEXTS 20–21
tam viram ahausanasi
prema-nirbharaya gira
rajams tvaya grhito me
panih para-puranjaya
hasta-graho ’paro ma bhud
grhitayas tvaya hi me
esa isa-krto vira
sambandho nau na paurusah
SYNONYMS
tam—unto him; viram—Yayati; aha—said; ausanasi—the daughter of Usana Kavi, Sukracarya; prema-nirbharaya—saturated with love and kindness; gira—by such words; rajan—O King; tvaya—by you; grhitah—accepted; me—my; panih—hand; para-puranjaya—the conqueror of the kingdoms of others; hasta-grahah—he who accepted my hand; aparah—another; ma—may not; bhut—become; grhitayah—accepted; tvaya—by you; hi—indeed; me—of me; esah—this; isa-krtah—arranged by providence; vira—O great hero; sambandhah—relationship; nau—our; na—not; paurusah—anything man-made.
TRANSLATION
With words saturated with love and affection, Devayani said to King Yayati: 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 Devayani out of the well, King Yayati must certainly have appreciated her youthful beauty, and therefore he might have asked her which caste she belonged to. Thus Devayani 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 Yayati accepted Devayani’s hand, they could be regarded as married. Because Devayani was enamored with the hero Yayati, she requested him not to change his mind and let another come to marry her.

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