TEXT 20
cikirsitam te kim idam patis tvaya
pralambhito loka-namaskrto munih
yat tvam jara-grastam asaty asammatam
vihaya jaram bhajase mum adhvagam
SYNONYMS
cikirsitamwhich you desire to do; teof you; kim idamwhat is this; patihyour husband; tvayaby you; pralambhitahhas been cheated; loka-namaskrtahwho is honored by all people; muniha great sage; yatbecause; tvamyou; jara-grastamvery old and invalid; asatiO unchaste daughter; asammatamnot very attractive; vihayagiving up; jaramparamour; bhajaseyou have accepted; amumthis man; adhvagamcomparable to a street beggar.
TRANSLATION
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.
PURPORT
This shows the values of Vedic culture. According to the circumstances, Sukanya 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 Saryati. 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 asati, 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 Saryati was surprised to see a young man by the side of Sukanya.

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