Shloka 30
Vidura Leaves Hastināpura and Meets Uddhava
Vidura’s Tīrtha-yātrā Begins
कच्चिद्धरे: सौम्य सुत: सदृक्ष आस्तेऽग्रणी रथिनां साधु साम्ब: । असूत यं जाम्बवती व्रताढ्या देवं गुहं योऽम्बिकया धृतोऽग्रे ॥ ३० ॥
kaccid dhareḥ saumya sutaḥ sadṛkṣa āste ’graṇī rathināṁ sādhu sāmbaḥ asūta yaṁ jāmbavatī vratāḍhyā devaṁ guhaṁ yo ’mbikayā dhṛto ’gre
O gentle one, is noble Sāmba—foremost among the chariot-warriors and resembling the Lord’s own son—well? He who was once borne by Ambikā as Guha-deva (Kārttikeya) has now been born from the womb of Jāmbavatī, rich in sacred vows.
Lord Śiva, one of the three qualitative incarnations of the Personality of Godhead, is the plenary expansion of the Lord. Kārttikeya, born of him, is on the level of Pradyumna, another son of Lord Kṛṣṇa. When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa descends into the material world, all His plenary portions also appear with Him to exhibit different functions of the Lord. But for the pastimes at Vṛndāvana, all functions are performed by the Lord’s different plenary expansions. Vāsudeva is a plenary expansion of Nārāyaṇa. When the Lord appeared as Vāsudeva before Devakī and Vasudeva, He appeared in His capacity as Nārāyaṇa. Similarly, all the demigods of the heavenly kingdom appeared as associates of the Lord in the forms of Pradyumna, Sāmba, Uddhava, etc. It is learned here that Kāmadeva appeared as Pradyumna, Kārttikeya as Sāmba, and one of the Vasus as Uddhava. All of them served in their different capacities in order to enrich the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa.
FAQs
Sāmba is described here as a worthy son of Lord Hari (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) and a leading chariot-warrior, born of Queen Jāmbavatī.
This verse notes a traditional identification that Sāmba is Guha (Skanda/Kārttikeya), the divine son formerly borne by Ambikā (Pārvatī), highlighting divine presence within Kṛṣṇa’s dynasty.
It models devotional remembrance: devotees naturally inquire about the Lord and His associates, keeping their minds anchored in sacred narratives rather than worldly gossip.