Shloka 20
Āstravidyā-Pradarśana: The Kuru Princes’ Public Demonstration of Arms (आस्त्रविद्या-प्रदर्शनम्)
ज्येष्ठ युधिष्ठिरेत्येवे भीमसेनेति मध्यमम् । अर्जुनेति तृतीयं च कुन्तीपुत्रानकल्पयन्,कुन्तीके ज्येष्ठ पुत्रका नाम युधिष्ठिर, मझलेका नाम भीमसेन और तीसरेका नाम अर्जुन रखा गया
jyeṣṭhaṃ yudhiṣṭhirety eva bhīmaseneti madhyamam | arjuneti tṛtīyaṃ ca kuntīputrān akalpayan ||
Vaiśampāyana said: They bestowed names upon Kuntī’s sons—calling the eldest “Yudhiṣṭhira,” the middle one “Bhīmasena,” and the third “Arjuna.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how social and familial order is established through formal naming and recognition. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical world, identity and birth-order are not merely labels; they shape one’s expected responsibilities (dharma) within family and society.
The narrator reports that Kuntī’s sons are being formally designated by name: the eldest is called Yudhiṣṭhira, the middle Bhīmasena, and the third Arjuna—marking their acknowledged positions among the brothers.