SB 9.6.40 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

यमुनान्तर्जले मग्नस्तप्यमान: परन्तप: । निर्वृतिं मीनराजस्य द‍ृष्ट्वा मैथुनधर्मिण: ॥ ३९ ॥ जातस्पृहो नृपं विप्र: कन्यामेकामयाचत । सोऽप्याह गृह्यतां ब्रह्मन् कामं कन्या स्वयंवरे ॥ ४० ॥

Verse text

yamunāntar-jale magnas tapyamānaḥ paraṁ tapaḥ nirvṛtiṁ mīna-rājasya dṛṣṭvā maithuna-dharmiṇaḥ jāta-spṛho nṛpaṁ vipraḥ kanyām ekām ayācata so ’py āha gṛhyatāṁ brahman kāmaṁ kanyā svayaṁvare

Synonyms

yamunā — antaḥ — jale — in the deep water of the river Yamunā ; magnaḥ — merged completely ; tapyamānaḥ — executing austerities ; param — uncommon ; tapaḥ — austerity ; nirvṛtim — pleasure ; mīna — rājasya — of a big fish ; dṛṣṭvā — seeing ; maithuna — dharmiṇaḥ — engaged in sexual affairs ; jāta — spṛhaḥ — became sexually inclined ; nṛpam — unto the King (Māndhātā) ; vipraḥ — the brāhmaṇa (Saubhari Ṛṣi) ; kanyām ekām — one daughter ; ayācata — begged for ; saḥ — he, the King ; api — also ; āha — said ; gṛhyatām — you can take ; brahman — O brāhmaṇa ; kāmam — as she desires ; kanyā — daughter ; svayaṁvare — a personal selection .

Translation

Saubhari Ṛṣi was engaged in austerity, deep in the water of the river Yamunā, when he saw a pair of fish engaged in sexual affairs. Thus he perceived the pleasure of sex life, and induced by this desire he went to King Māndhātā and begged for one of the King’s daughters. In response to this request, the King said, “O brāhmaṇa, any of my daughters may accept any husband according to her personal selection.”

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Saubhari was engaged in austerity in the water of the River Yamunā, when he saw the pleasure of a big fish engaged in sexual affairs. When desire appeared in him, he went to King Māndhātā and begged for one of the King's daughters. In response to this request, the King said, "O brāhmaṇa, any of my daughters may accept any husband according to her personal selection." ‘Why did the sage Saubhari performing great austerities, marry these daughters and why did the daughters accept an old withered sage as their husband?” After seeing the fish, he came out of the water, went to Mathurā and requested King Māndhātā.

Purport

This is the beginning of the story of Saubhari Ṛṣi. According to Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Māndhātā was the king of Mathurā, and Saubhari Ṛṣi was engaged in austerity while submerged deep within the river Yamunā. When the ṛṣi felt sexual desire, he emerged from the water and went to King Māndhātā to ask that one of the King’s daughters become his wife.