Mahabharata 1.96.76 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 96, Shloka 76

आदि पर्व, अध्याय 96 — काश्यकन्याहरणं, शाल्वसमागमः, अम्बावचनं च

Kāśī princesses taken; encounter with Śālva; Ambā’s declaration

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठटिरस्तु गोवासनस्य शैब्यस्य देविकां नाम कनन्‍्यां स्वयंवरे लेभे । तस्यां पुत्र जनयामास यौधेयं नाम

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | yudhiṣṭhiras tu govāsanasya śaibyasya devikāṃ nāma kanyāṃ svayaṃvare lebhe | tasyāṃ putraṃ janayāmāsa yaudheyaṃ nāma |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Yudhiṣṭhira seinerseits gewann in einer Svayaṃvara die Jungfrau namens Devikā, Tochter des Govāsana aus der Śaibya-Linie. Durch sie zeugte er einen Sohn namens Yaudheya. Die Episode hebt die gesellschaftlich sanktionierte Form der Eheschließung durch öffentliche Wahl/Wettstreit hervor und die Fortführung der Linie durch rechtmäßige Verbindung.

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• गोवासनस्य: of Govāsana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोवासन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• शैब्यस्य: of the Śaibya (descendant of Śibi)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैब्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• देविकाम्: Devikā (name of a girl)
• देविकाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देविका
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• नाम: by name
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम

• कन्याम्: a maiden/daughter
• कन्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• स्वयंवरे: in the svayaṃvara (bride-choosing ceremony)
• स्वयंवरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयंवर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• लेभे: obtained/won
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• तस्याम्: in her
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• पुत्रम्: a son
• पुत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जनयामास: begot/caused to be born
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic perfect), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यौधेयम्: Yaudheya (name)
• यौधेयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौधेय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नाम: by name
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Govāsana
• Śaibya (lineage/people)
• Devikā
• Yaudheya
• Svayaṃvara (marriage rite)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights dharmic social continuity: marriage conducted through an accepted public institution (svayaṃvara) and the begetting of offspring within lawful union, reinforcing lineage, alliance, and social order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira wins Devikā, daughter of Govāsana of the Śaibya line, in a svayaṃvara and fathers a son named Yaudheya through her.