Shloka 22

Śakuntalā-Janma-Nāmakaraṇa (Birth and Naming of Śakuntalā) | शकुन्तला-जन्म-नामकरणम्

Devanagari script

सोमस्य तु सुतो वर्चा वर्चस्वी येन जायते । मनोहराया: शिशिर: प्राणोडइथ रमणस्तथा,सोमके मनोहरा नामक स्टत्रीके गर्भसे प्रथम तो वर्चा नामक पुत्र हुआ, जिससे लोग वर्चस्वी (तेज, कान्ति और पराक्रमसे सम्पन्न) होते हैं, फिर शिशिर, प्राण तथा रमण नामक पुत्र उत्पन्न हुए

Transliteration

somasyatu suto varcā varcasvī yena jāyate | manoharāyāḥ śiśiraḥ prāṇo ’tha ramaṇas tathā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Von Soma wurde ein Sohn namens Varcā geboren — durch ihn werden die Menschen mit Glanz und Tapferkeit begabt. Darauf wurden von Manoharā auch die Söhne Śiśira, Prāṇa und Ramaṇa geboren.

Word by Word

सोमस्यof Soma

तुbut/indeed

सुतःson

वर्चाVarchā (name); splendor

वर्चस्वीsplendid, possessed of radiance

येनby whom/whereby

जायतेis born/arises

मनोहरायाःof Manoharā

शिशिरःŚiśira (name)

प्राणःPrāṇa (name); vital breath

उतand/also

रमणःRamaṇa (name)

तथाthus/likewise

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Soma

Varcā

Manoharā

Śiśira

Prāṇa

Ramaṇa

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?

The verse frames personal qualities—radiance (varcas), vitality (prāṇa), and charm (ramaṇa)—as celebrated inheritances within a lineage, suggesting that noble traits are to be cultivated and recognized as part of one’s familial and ethical legacy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues a genealogical account: he names Soma’s son Varcā and then lists the sons born of Manoharā—Śiśira, Prāṇa, and Ramaṇa—thereby extending the family line and associating it with specific admired qualities.