Shloka 22

कुरुवंशप्रश्नः—दुःषन्तस्य राजधर्मवर्णनम्

Kuru Lineage Inquiry and the Portrait of King Duḥṣanta’s Rule

Devanagari script

महिषीयुवराजाभ्यां श्रोतव्यं बहुशस्तथा । वीरं जनयते पुत्र कन्यां वा राज्यभागिनीम्‌,युवराज तथा रानीको बारम्बार इसका श्रवण करते रहना चाहिये, इससे वह वीर पुत्र अथवा राज्यसिंहासनपर बैठनेवाली कन्याको जन्म देती है

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

mahiṣī-yuvarājābhyāṃ śrotavyaṃ bahuśas tathā |

vīraṃ janayate putraṃ kanyāṃ vā rājya-bhāginīm ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Dies soll sowohl von der Hauptkönigin als auch vom Kronprinzen vielfach gehört werden. Durch solches aufmerksames Hören gebiert eine Frau entweder einen heldenhaften Sohn oder eine Tochter, die würdig ist, an der Herrschaft teilzuhaben—geeignet, den Königsthron zu besteigen.“

Word by Word

महिषीqueen, chief wife

युवराजाभ्याम्by/with the two princes (heirs-apparent)

श्रोतव्यम्is to be heard; should be listened to

बहुशःmany times, repeatedly

तथाthus; likewise

वीरम्a heroic (one)

जनयतेbegets; gives birth to

पुत्रम्a son

कन्याम्a daughter

वाor

राज्यभागिनीम्one who has a share in the kingdom (heiress)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

mahiṣī (chief queen)

yuvarāja (crown prince)

putra (son)

kanyā (daughter)

rājya (kingdom/sovereignty)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Repeated, respectful listening to an elevating narrative or instruction is presented as a formative royal discipline: it refines character and is believed to support the birth (and, by implication, the upbringing) of offspring suited for dharmic leadership—either a heroic son or a daughter fit to share sovereignty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana states a prescriptive remark aimed at the royal household: the chief queen and the crown prince are urged to hear a certain account repeatedly, with the promised result that the queen will bear a worthy heir—male or female—capable of upholding the kingdom.