Shloka 10
Āstīka-janma: Vāsuki’s Consolation and the Birth/Naming of Āstīka (अस्तीकोत्पत्तिः)
सर:सु फुल्लेषु वनेषु चैव हि प्रसन्नचेता विजहार वीर्यवान् । तथा स राजन्यवरो विजद्ठिवान् यथोर्वशीं प्राप्य पुरा पुरूरवा:,राजाओंमें श्रेष्ठ महापराक्रमी जनमेजयने प्रसन्न-चित्त होकर सरोवरों तथा पुष्पशोभित उपवनोंमें रानी वपुष्टमाके साथ उसी प्रकार विहार किया, जैसे पूर्वकालमें उर्वशीको पाकर महाराज पुरूरवाने किया था
saraḥsu phulleṣu vaneṣu caiva hi prasannacetā vijahāra vīryavān | tathā sa rājanyavaro vijitadhvān yathorvaśīṃ prāpya purā purūravāḥ ||
Mit heiterem, ruhigem Sinn wandelte der mächtige König — der Beste unter den Herrschern — zusammen mit Königin Vapuṣṭamā an lotosblühenden Seen und in blumengeschmückten Hainen, wie einst in alter Zeit König Purūravas sich erfreute, nachdem er Urvaśī erlangt hatte.
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how prosperity and prowess can lead a ruler into pleasurable absorption; ethically, it invites reflection on balance—royal enjoyment is depicted as natural, yet the broader epic repeatedly warns that unchecked delight can distract from vigilance, responsibility, and the consequences of past actions.
Takṣaka describes King Janamejaya enjoying himself with Queen Vapuṣṭamā amid lakes and flowered groves, likening his delight to the legendary joy of Purūravas after gaining Urvaśī.