Text 16

Text

tān nirīkṣya varārohā
sarūpān sūrya-varcasaḥ
ajānatī patiṁ sādhvī
aśvinau śaraṇaṁ yayau

Synonyms

tan—unto them; nirīkṣya—after observing; vara-aroha—that beautiful Sukanyā; sa-rūpān—all of them equally beautiful; surya-varcasaḥ—with a bodily effulgence like the effulgence of the sun; ajānatī—not knowing; patim—her husband; sadhvi—that chaste woman; aśvinau—unto the Aśvinī-kumāras; saranam—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. 

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. 

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