Shloka 14
सोमक–जन्तु उपाख्यानम्
Somaka–Jantu Exemplar: The Quest for a Hundred Sons
एक: कथंचिदुत्पन्नः पुत्रो जन्तुरयं मम । यतमानासु सर्वासु कि नु दुः:खमत: परम्,यद्यपि मेरी सभी रानियाँ संतानके लिये यत्नशील थीं, तथापि किसी तरह मेरे यही एक पुत्र उत्पन्न हुआ, जिसका नाम जन्तु है। इससे बढ़कर दुःख और क्या हो सकता है?
ekaḥ kathañcid utpannaḥ putro jantur ayaṁ mama | yatamānāsu sarvāsū ki nu duḥkham ataḥ param ||
قال سُوماكا: «مع أن جميع ملكاتي اجتهدن غاية الاجتهاد في طلب الولد، لم يولد لي على أيّ نحوٍ إلا ابنٌ واحد—هذا المسمّى جانتو. فأيُّ حزنٍ أعظم من هذا؟»
सोमक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical tension between attachment to lineage and the inner discipline expected of a ruler: intense fixation on progeny can become a source of suffering and can drive questionable choices, inviting reflection on restraint, contentment, and dharmic priorities.
Somaka laments that despite all his queens’ efforts, he has obtained only a single son, Jantu, and he presents this as an unsurpassed sorrow—setting the emotional and moral backdrop for the ensuing discussion/story about his actions motivated by this anxiety.