Shloka 9
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
बाष्कलो नाम यस्तेषामासीदसुरसत्तम: । भगदत्त इति ख्यात: स जज्ञे पुरुषर्षभ:,असुरोंमें श्रेष्ठ जो बाष्कल था, वही नरश्रेष्ठ भगदत्तके नामसे उत्पन्न हुआ
bāṣkalo nāma yas teṣām āsīd asurasattamaḥ | bhagadatta iti khyātaḥ sa jajñe puruṣarṣabhaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Among those beings there was one named Bāṣkala, the foremost of the Asuras; he was born in the world as the bull among men, renowned by the name Bhagadatta.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how potent non-human lineages (asuric in this case) are portrayed as entering human royal history, implying that extraordinary strength and influence may arise from complex origins; ethical evaluation in the epic depends on conduct (dharma) rather than mere birth.
Vaiśampāyana continues a genealogical account, stating that the foremost Asura named Bāṣkala was born as the renowned human hero-king Bhagadatta, described as an outstanding man (puruṣarṣabha).