Parīkṣit’s Inquiry into Vṛtrāsura’s Bhakti and the Beginning of Citraketu’s Trial
तस्य भार्यासहस्राणां सहस्राणि दशाभवन् । सान्तानिकश्चापि नृपो न लेभे तासु सन्ततिम् ॥ ११ ॥
tasya bhāryā-sahasrāṇāṁ sahasrāṇi daśābhavan sāntānikaś cāpi nṛpo na lebhe tāsu santatim
He had ten thousand times ten thousand wives. Yet though the king was capable of begetting children, he received no offspring from any of them, as if all were barren.
This verse states that even with ten million queens, Citraketu could not obtain progeny—highlighting that results like childbirth depend on providence and karma, not merely human effort or resources.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating the history of King Citraketu to Mahārāja Parīkṣit.
It teaches that major life outcomes are not fully controllable; therefore one should act responsibly but reduce anxiety and attachment to results, cultivating devotion and inner steadiness.