Somada

Somada, a heavenly maiden and daughter of Urmila, serves a hermit absorbed in austerities. Her brief episode links sustained, reverent service to a request for a son through the power of penance, while leaving the result unstated.

Identity and Background

The poem identifies Somada as a heavenly maiden and as Urmila’s child. It introduces her in relation to an unnamed hermit, rather than through an account of her origins or a wider personal history.

Service to the Hermit

Somada approaches the hermit while he is occupied with austere religious tasks and lends him her aid. She remains near him for a long time, serving meekly and reverently. The account presents this service as sustained devotion, not a passing visit.

Her Request and the Episode’s Limits

Somada addresses the hermit as one who has, by heavenly grace, attained close union with the Godhead. She then expresses her longing for a son gained through holy penance, while noting that she lives an unmarried maiden’s life. The passage establishes her wish and the spiritual setting in which she voices it, but does not say whether the request is granted or what follows.