Shloka 23
कर्णप्रवेशः—रङ्गे द्वन्द्वयुद्धप्रस्तावः तथा अङ्गराज्याभिषेकः
Karna’s Entry, Duel Proposal, and Consecration as King of Aṅga
(स यथोक्तं तपस्तेपे तत्र मूलफलाशन: ।। पत्नीभ्यां सह धर्मात्मा कंचित् कालमतन्द्रित: । तेन वृत्तसमाचारैस्तपसा च तपस्विन: । तोषितास्तापसास्तत्र शतशृुड्शनिवासिन: ।।) ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतस्थस्य तस्य दिव्येन हेतुना । साक्षाद् धर्मादयं पुत्रस्तत्र जातो युधिछ्िर:,“कुरुनन्दन भीष्मजी! वे जो आपके पुत्र महाराज पाण्डु विषयभोगोंका परित्याग करके यहाँसे शतशंग पर्वतपर चले गये थे, उन धर्मात्माने वहाँ फल-मूल खाकर रहते हुए सावधान रहकर अपनी दोनों पत्नियोंके साथ कुछ कालतक शास्त्रोक्त विधिसे भारी तपस्या की। उन्होंने अपने उत्तम आचार-व्यवहार और तपस्यासे शतशुृंगनिवासी तपस्वी मुनियोंको संतुष्ट कर लिया था। वहाँ नित्य ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतका पालन करते हुए महाराज पाण्डुको किसी दिव्य हेतुसे साक्षात् धर्मराजद्वारा यह पुत्र प्राप्त हुआ है, जिसका नाम युधिष्छिर है
sa yathoktaṁ tapas tepe tatra mūlaphalāśanaḥ || patnībhyāṁ saha dharmātmā kañcit kālam atandritaḥ | tena vṛttasamācārais tapasā ca tapasvinaḥ | toṣitās tāpasās tatra śataśṛṅganivāsinaḥ || brahmacaryavratastasya tasya divyena hetunā | sākṣād dharmād ayaṁ putras tatra jāto yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: As had been prescribed, Pāṇḍu undertook austerities there, living on roots and fruits. Steadfast and vigilant, that righteous king practiced severe penance for some time together with his two wives. By his disciplined conduct and ascetic power he pleased the hermit-sages dwelling on Śataśṛṅga. While he remained established in the vow of brahmacarya, through a divine cause a son was born to him there directly from Dharma himself—Yudhiṣṭhira, the embodiment of righteousness.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage links rightful kingship to self-restraint: disciplined conduct (vṛtta), austerity (tapas), and brahmacarya are portrayed as ethically potent, capable of attracting divine support and producing a dharmic heir.
Pāṇḍu lives ascetically on Śataśṛṅga with his two wives, pleases the resident sages through conduct and penance, and—while observing brahmacarya—receives a son directly from the deity Dharma: Yudhiṣṭhira.