Śántá

Śántá is a royal bride whose marriage links Lomapád, the mighty king of Anga, with the hermit’s son. The passages that name her emphasize her family’s decision to entrust her to a friend and her presence beside her husband as he answers the king’s call. Though the account gives little direct speech or individual action to her, her marriage places her at the intersection of royal alliance and the events surrounding the king’s appeal.

Identity and Marriage

Śántá is described as exceptionally fair and distinguished in mind and grace. Her marriage is presented as a bond between royal households: Lomapád is to be allied by wedlock, and Śántá is named as the bride. The account’s praise of her is brief, but it makes her character and royal standing central to the proposed union.

Her father is described as moved by suffering and willing to bestow his child upon his friend. The passage thus presents the arrangement as an act of friendship and care as well as a marriage alliance. It does not detail Śántá’s own decision or describe the circumstances of her upbringing, so the emphasis remains on the father’s act and the bond between the men.

Journey with the Hermit’s Son

The hermit’s son obeys the mighty lord of Anga, and Śántá is at his side as he goes. Her presence makes the marriage more than a formal link between courts: she accompanies her husband into the action prompted by the king’s appeal. The text offers no account of her words or independent choices in this episode, but it explicitly places her beside him as he responds.

Narrative Role

Śántá’s brief appearance connects a royal marriage to a sequence of royal and sacrificial affairs. The account moves from her marriage and the hermit’s son’s arrival to the beginning of a sacrifice, after which a promise of four sons is announced to a monarch. These passages establish the surrounding dynastic and ritual context, but do not state that Śántá herself performs a ritual or causes the later promise. Her significance in the evidence lies in the alliance she embodies and in her presence beside her husband at the point where the narrative turns toward the king’s affairs.