Devanagari
य उद्यतमनादृत्य कीनाशमभियाचते ।
क्षीयते तद्यश: स्फीतं मानश्चावज्ञया हत: ॥ १३ ॥
Verse text
ya udyatam anādṛtya
kīnāśam abhiyācate
kṣīyate tad-yaśaḥ sphītaṁ
mānaś cāvajṣayā hataḥ
Synonyms
yaḥ
—
who
;
udyatam
—
an offering
;
anādṛtya
—
rejecting
;
kīnāśam
—
from a miser
;
abhiyācate
—
begs
;
kṣīyate
—
is lost
;
tat
—
his
;
yaśaḥ
—
reputation
;
sphītam
—
widespread
;
mānaḥ
—
honor
;
ca
—
and
;
avajṣayā
—
by neglectful behavior
;
hataḥ
—
destroyed .
Translation
One who rejects an offering that comes of its own accord but later begs a boon from a miser thus loses his widespread reputation, and his pride is humbled by the neglectful behavior of others.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
One who rejects what comes of its own accord but begs from a miser has his glorious fame destroyed. His honor is destroyed by becoming neglected by others.
This verse speaks of conduct in this world. One who rejects something out of shyness and because of concern for position, and then begs that object from one who will not give it, loses fame. Shyness and concern for position are soon destroyed by the strength of the desire. One’s honor also is destroyed. Even the wise man of mature vision should accept those objects not forbidden which come without asking by good fortunate, after surmising that, even having detachment, it will be destroyed by the desire in ones mind.
Purport
The general procedure of Vedic marriage is that a father offers his daughter to a suitable boy. That is a very respectable marriage. A boy should not go to the girl’s father and ask for the hand of his daughter in marriage. That is considered to be humbling one’s respectable position. Svāyambhuva Manu wanted to convince Kardama Muni, since he knew that the sage wanted to marry a suitable girl: “I am offering just such a suitable wife. Do not reject the offer, or else, because you are in need of a wife, you will have to ask for such a wife from someone else, who may not behave with you so well. In that case your position will be humbled.”
Another feature of this incident is that Svāyambhuva Manu was the emperor, but he went to offer his qualified daughter to a poor
brāhmaṇa.
Kardama Muni had no worldly possessions — he was a hermit living in the forest — but he was advanced in culture. Therefore, in offering one’s daughter to a person, the culture and quality are counted as prominent, not wealth or any other material consideration.