Devanagari
राजपुत्र्यार्थितोऽपत्ये धर्मं चावेक्ष्य धर्मवित् ।
स्मरञ्छुक्रवच: काले दिष्टमेवाभ्यपद्यत ॥ ३२ ॥
Verse text
rāja-putryārthito ’patye
dharmaṁ cāvekṣya dharmavit
smaraṣ chukra-vacaḥ kāle
diṣṭam evābhyapadyata
Synonyms
rāja
—
putryā — by Śarmiṣṭhā, who was the daughter of a king
;
arthitaḥ
—
being requested
;
apatye
—
for a son
;
dharmam
—
religious principles
;
ca
—
as well as
;
avekṣya
—
considering
;
dharma
—
vit — aware of all religious principles
;
smaran
—
remembering
;
śukra
—
vacaḥ — the warning of Śukrācārya
;
kāle
—
at the time
;
diṣṭam
—
circumstantially
;
eva
—
indeed
;
abhyapadyata
—
accepted (to fulfill the desire of Śarmiṣṭhā) .
Translation
When Princess Śarmiṣṭhā begged King Yayāti for a son, the King was certainly aware of the principles of religion, and therefore he agreed to fulfill her desire. Although he remembered the warning of Śukrācārya, he thought of this union as the desire of the Supreme, and thus he had sex with Śarmiṣṭhā.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
When Princess Śarmiṣṭhā begged King Yayāti for a son, the King, aware of dharma, considered the principles of religion, and, though he remembered the words of Śukrācārya, he accepted what was arranged by fate at that time.
It is dharma to fulfill her desire, when she requests at the time of conception for having a son. Knowing this and remembering the words of Śukrācārya forbidding a relationship with Śarmiṣṭhā, he wavered in his mind, but then accepted the union as it was attained by fate.
Purport
King Yayāti was completely aware of the duty of a
kṣatriya.
When a
kṣatriya
is approached by a woman, he cannot deny her. This is a religious principle. Consequently, when Dharmarāja, Yudhiṣṭhira, saw Arjuna unhappy after Arjuna returned from Dvārakā, he asked whether Arjuna had refused a woman who had begged for a son. Although Mahārāja Yayāti remembered Śukrācārya’s warning, he could not refuse Śarmiṣṭhā. He thought it wise to give her a son, and thus he had sexual intercourse with her after her menstrual period. This kind of lust is not against religious principles. As stated in
Bhagavad-gītā
(7.11)
,
dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo ’smi:
sex life not contrary to the principles of religion is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. Because Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of a king, had begged Yayāti for a son, their combination was not lust but an act of religion.