तान् निरीक्ष्य वरारोहा सरूपान् सूर्यवर्चसः ।
अजानती पतिं साध्वी अश्विनौ शरणं ययौ ॥१६॥

tÄn nirÄ«ká¹£ya varÄrohÄ
sarÅ«pÄn sÅ«rya-varcasaḥ
ajÄnatÄ« patiá¹ sÄdhvÄ«
aśvinau śaraṇaṠyayau

 tÄn - unto them; nirÄ«ká¹£ya - after observing; vara-ÄrohÄ - that beautiful SukanyÄ; sa-rÅ«pÄn - all of them equally beautiful; sÅ«rya-varcasaḥ - with a bodily effulgence like the effulgence of the sun; ajÄnatÄ« - not knowing; patim - her husband; sÄdhvÄ« - that chaste woman; aÅ›vinau - unto the AÅ›vinÄ«-kumÄras; Å›araṇam - shelter; yayau - took.


Text

The chaste and very beautiful SukanyÄ could not distinguish her husband from the two AÅ›vinÄ«-kumÄras, for they were equally beautiful. Not understanding who her real husband was, she took shelter of the AÅ›vinÄ«-kumÄras.

Purport

SukanyÄ 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 AÅ›vinÄ«-kumÄras 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.