Shloka 116
धर्माद् युधिष्ठिरो जज्ञे मारुताच्च वृकोदर: । इन्द्रादू धनंजय: श्रीमान् सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वर:,युधिष्ठिर धर्मसे, भीमसेन वायुदेवतासे, सम्पूर्ण शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ श्रीमान् अर्जुन इन्द्रदेवसे तथा सुन्दर रूपवाले नकुल और सहदेव अभश्विनीकुमारोंसे उत्पन्न हुए थे। वे जुड़वें पैदा हुए थे। नकुल और सहदेव सदा गुरुजनोंकी सेवामें तत्पर रहते थे
dharmād yudhiṣṭhiro jajñe mārutāc ca vṛkodaraḥ | indrād dhanañjayaḥ śrīmān sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ ||
The fisherman said: “From Dharma was born Yudhiṣṭhira; from Māruta (the Wind-god) was born Vṛkodara (Bhīma); and from Indra was born the illustrious Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), the foremost among all bearers of weapons.” In this account, the Pāṇḍavas’ origins are framed as divine endowments: Yudhiṣṭhira embodies righteousness, Bhīma the force of vital wind and strength, and Arjuna the kingly prowess and martial excellence associated with Indra—establishing their ethical and heroic capacities as rooted in cosmic order.
दाश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links each hero’s defining virtue to a divine source: Yudhiṣṭhira’s commitment to righteousness is grounded in Dharma, Bhīma’s power in the Wind-god, and Arjuna’s martial supremacy in Indra. It frames ethical authority and heroic capability as expressions of cosmic order rather than mere human accident.
A fisherman (dāśa) is recounting the births of the Pāṇḍava brothers, identifying their divine fathers and highlighting Arjuna’s preeminence among weapon-bearers. The passage functions as a genealogical and character-defining statement within the Adi Parva narrative.