Shloka 17
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 98 — Paraśurāma’s kṣatriya suppression; Dīrghatamas, Bali, Sudēṣṇā, and the birth of Aṅga
पुत्रजन्म प्रतीक्षन् वै स राजा तदधारयत् | एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु प्रतीप: क्षत्रियर्षभ:
putrajanma pratīkṣan vai sa rājā tad adhārayat | etasminn eva kāle tu pratīpaḥ kṣatriyarṣabhaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Jener König hielt, während er auf die Geburt eines Sohnes wartete, an seinem Entschluss fest und trug die Lage mit Standhaftigkeit. Und eben zu jener Zeit lebte Pratīpa, der Stier unter den Kṣatriyas—ein Vorbild königlicher Kraft, verbunden mit Geduld und Pflicht.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a kingly virtue central to rājadharma: steadfast endurance and self-control while awaiting an heir. It frames patience and responsibility—not impulsiveness—as marks of exemplary rulership.
Vaiśampāyana continues the dynastic account: a king is described as waiting for a son’s birth and sustaining his resolve, and the narration situates this period by introducing Pratīpa, praised as an outstanding kṣatriya.