Shloka 17

Duḥṣanta at Kaṇva-Āśrama; Śakuntalā’s Reception and Origin Prelude (दुःषन्तस्य कण्वाश्रमागमनम्)

Devanagari script

एक एव दिते: पुत्रो हिरण्यकशिपु: स्मृतः । नाम्ना ख्यातास्तु तस्येमे पठ्च पुत्रा महात्मन:,दितिका एक ही पुत्र हिरण्यकशिपु अपने नामसे विख्यात हुआ। उस महामना दैत्यके पाँच पुत्र थे

Transliteration

eka eva diteḥ putro hiraṇyakaśipuḥ smṛtaḥ | nāmnā khyātās tu tasyeme pañca putrā mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Man erinnert sich, dass Diti nur einen Sohn hatte, Hiraṇyakaśipu, berühmt schon durch seinen Namen. Doch jener großgesinnte Daitya hatte fünf Söhne, jeder für sich gerühmt.“

Word by Word

एकःone (only)

एवindeed/only

दितेःof Diti

पुत्रःson

हिरण्यकशिपुःHiraṇyakaśipu

स्मृतःis remembered/known (as)

नाम्नाby name

ख्याताःrenowned/known

तुbut/and

तस्यof him/of that (person)

इमेthese

पञ्चfive

पुत्राःsons

महात्मनःof the great-souled (one)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Diti

Hiraṇyakaśipu

Daitya (as a class/lineage)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how tradition may remember a lineage through its most famous figure, yet a careful account preserves the broader family line; it encourages precision in transmitting genealogical and historical memory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana is recounting Daitya genealogy: Diti is commonly remembered for the renowned Hiraṇyakaśipu, and the narration then notes that Hiraṇyakaśipu himself had five sons who were also known by name.