Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 9.15.5-6

tasya satyavatim kanyam

riciko 'yacata dvijah

varam visadrisam matva

gadhir bhargavam abravit

ekatah syama-karnanam

hayanam candra-varcasam

sahasram diyatam sulkam

kanyayah kusika vayam

SYNONYMS

tasya -- of Gadhi; satyavatim -- Satyavati; kanyam -- the daughter; ricikah -- the great sage Ricika; ayacata -- requested; dvijah -- the brahmana; varam -- as her husband; visadrisam -- not equal or fit; matva -- thinking like that; gadhih -- King Gadhi; bhargavam -- unto Ricika; abravit -- replied; ekatah -- by one; syama-karnanam -- whose ear is black; hayanam -- horses; candra-varcasam -- as brilliant as the moonshine; sahasram -- one thousand; diyatam -- please deliver; sulkam -- as a dowry; kanyayah -- to my daughter; kusikah -- in the family of Kusa; vayam -- we (are).

TRANSLATION

King Gadhi had a daughter named Satyavati, whom a brahmana sage named Ricika requested from the King to be his wife. King Gadhi, however, regarded Ricika as an unfit husband for his daughter, and therefore he told the brahmana, "My dear sir, I belong to the dynasty of Kusa. Because we are aristocratic kshatriyas, you have to give some dowry for my daughter. Therefore, bring at least one thousand horses, each as brilliant as moonshine and each having one black ear, whether right or left."

PURPORT

The son of King Gadhi was Visvamitra, who was said to be a brahmana and kshatriya combined. Visvamitra attained the status of a brahmarshi, as explained later. From the marriage of Satyavati with Ricika Muni would come a son with the spirit of a kshatriya. King Gadhi demanded that an uncommon request be fulfilled before the brahmana Ricika could marry his daughter.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness