Shloka 30
Adhyāya 123 — Droṇa’s Pedagogy: Arjuna’s Preeminence, Ekalavya’s Self-Training, and the Bhāsa-Lakṣya Trial
इत्युक्त: कौरवो राजा वासवेन महात्मना
ity uktaḥ kauravo rājā vāsavena mahātmanā |
Thus addressed by Vāsava (Indra), the Kaurava king—great-souled and righteous—was filled with delight. Remembering the words of the lord of the gods, he spoke to Queen Kuntī: “Auspicious one, the future fruit of your vow will be blessed and fortunate. Indra, master of the gods, is pleased with us and wishes to grant you, according to your resolve, an excellent son—of deeds beyond mortal measure: renowned, a subduer of enemies, wise in policy, high-minded, radiant like the sun, irresistible, tireless in action, and wondrous to behold.”
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage emphasizes that sincere vows (vrata) and steadfast resolve (saṅkalpa), aligned with dharma, are believed to yield auspicious results, and that ideal rulership values ethical prudence (nīti), self-mastery, and the welfare of the lineage.
Indra (Śakra/Vāsava) has spoken to the Kuru-line king Pāṇḍu. Pāṇḍu, pleased and mindful of Indra’s assurance, turns to Kuntī and foretells that her vow will bear a divinely granted, extraordinary son endowed with royal and heroic virtues.