Shloka 139

Devanagari script

निगूहमाना जात वै बन्धुपक्षभयात्‌ तदा | उत्ससर्ज जले कुन्ती तं कुमारं यशस्विनम्‌,उस समय कुन्तीने पिता-माता आदि बान्धव-पक्षके भयसे उस यशस्वी कुमारको छिपाकर एक पेटीमें रखकर जलमें छोड़ दिया

Transliteration

nigūhamānā jātaṃ vai bandhu-pakṣa-bhayāt tadā | utsasarja jale kuntī taṃ kumāraṃ yaśasvinam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then Kuntī, concealing the newborn out of fear of her family and kin, set that illustrious boy adrift upon the waters.

Word by Word

निगूहमानाhiding, concealing

जातम्born (child)

वैindeed

बन्धु-पक्ष-भयात्from fear of the relatives' side (family faction)

तदाthen, at that time

उत्ससर्जshe let go, released, cast away

जलेin the water

कुन्तीKunti

तम्him, that

कुमारम्the boy, son

यशस्विनम्glorious, renowned

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kuntī (Pṛthā)

the newborn boy (Karna, implied)

water/river (jale)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic dilemma shaped by social fear: Kuntī’s concealment shows how concern for family honor and public judgment can drive morally complex choices. Yet the method—setting the child afloat rather than killing—also suggests an attempt to preserve life while avoiding scandal, revealing the tension between societal norms and compassion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kuntī, frightened of her relatives’ reaction, hides her newborn son and releases him into the water. This is the pivotal moment in the Karṇa-origin episode, where the child’s survival is left to fate and the river’s course.