Shloka 28
Āṇīmāṇḍavya–Upākhyāna
The Account of Āṇīmāṇḍavya and the Birth of Vidura
जातमात्र पुरा दृष्टवा त॑ पुत्र शान्तनुस्तदा । नोपलेभे स्मृतिं धीमानभिज्ञातुं तमात्मजम्,शान्तनुने अपने पुत्रको पहले पैदा होनेके समय ही देखा था; अतः उन बुद्धिमान् नरेशको उस समय उसकी याद नहीं आयी; इसीलिये वे अपने ही पुत्रको पहचान न सके
jātamātraṃ purā dṛṣṭvā taṃ putra śāntanustadā | nopalebhe smṛtiṃ dhīmān abhijñātuṃ tam ātmajam ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Da König Śāntanu den Knaben einst vor langer Zeit nur ein einziges Mal gesehen hatte, im Augenblick seiner Geburt, kehrte ihm damals nicht die Erinnerung zurück, die nötig gewesen wäre, ihn zu erkennen. So konnte er, obgleich weise, seinen eigenen Sohn nicht identifizieren.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that wisdom alone does not guarantee right recognition; when memory and knowledge are disrupted by time or circumstance, even natural relationships (like father and son) can become obscured. It implicitly stresses the ethical importance of clear knowledge (jñāna) and reliable remembrance (smṛti) in fulfilling one’s familial and royal duties.
Vaiśampāyana explains that King Śāntanu had seen the child only at birth long ago, and therefore, at the present moment of encounter, he fails to recall and recognize him as his own son.