Devanagari
तान् निरीक्ष्य वरारोहा सरूपान् सूर्यवर्चस: ।
अजानती पतिं साध्वी अश्विनौ शरणं ययौ ॥ १६ ॥
Verse text
tān nirīkṣya varārohā
sarūpān sūrya-varcasaḥ
ajānatī patiṁ sādhvī
aśvinau śaraṇaṁ yayau
Synonyms
tān
—
unto them
;
nirīkṣya
—
after observing
;
vara
—
ārohā — that beautiful Sukanyā
;
sa
—
rūpān — all of them equally beautiful
;
sūrya
—
varcasaḥ — with a bodily effulgence like the effulgence of the sun
;
ajānatī
—
not knowing
;
patim
—
her husband
;
sādhvī
—
that chaste woman
;
aśvinau
—
unto the Aśvinī-kumāras
;
śaraṇam
—
shelter
;
yayau
—
took .
Translation
The chaste and very beautiful Sukanyā could not distinguish her husband from the two Aśvinī-kumāras, for they were equally beautiful. Not understanding who her real husband was, she took shelter of the Aśvinī-kumāras.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Beautiful Sukanyā could not distinguish her husband from the two Aśvinī-kumāras, for they were equally beautiful. Not understanding who her real husband was, she took shelter of the Aśvinī-kumāras.
They said, “Please accept your husband, recognizing him among us three.” “Among you, you two Āśvini-kumāras should by merciful and show me my husband.” This is the meaning of “taking shelter of the Aśvimi-kumāras.”
Purport
Sukanyā could have selected any one of them as her husband, for one could not distinguish among them, but because she was chaste, she took shelter of the Aśvinī-kumāras so that they could inform her who her actual husband was. A chaste woman will never accept any man other than her husband, even if there be someone equally as handsome and qualified.