Shloka 13
धृतराष्ट्र–दुर्योधन संवादः
Vāraṇāvata-vivāsana-nīti: Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Duryodhana’s Policy Dialogue
जगाम रेतस्तत् तस्य शरस्तम्बे पपात च । शरस्तम्बे च पतितं द्विधा तदभवन्नूप
vaiśampāyana uvāca | jagāma retas tat tasya śarastambe papāta ca | śarastambe ca patitaṃ dvidhā tad abhavan nṛpa ||
Vaiśampāyana said: As he departed, his semen fell upon a clump of reeds. O king, having fallen on the reed-bed, it split into two parts.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the potency of tapas and generative energy: when disturbed or released outside intended bounds, it can yield unforeseen outcomes. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical universe, such events are not merely sensational; they become instruments through which fate, lineage, and dharma unfold.
A male figure (implied from context) leaves the place; his semen falls onto a clump of reeds and, upon falling there, divides into two portions—setting up a subsequent birth or emergence narrative connected with the reed-bed.