Shloka 253
Ruru–Pramadvarā: Lineage, Fosterage, Betrothal, and the Snakebite Crisis (Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 8)
प्रमति: सह पुत्रेण तथान्ये वनवासिन: । तदनन्तर स्वस्त्यात्रेय, महाजानु, कुशिक, शंखमेखल, उद्दालक, कठ, महायशस्वी श्वेत, भरद्वाज, कौणकुत्स्य, आर्टिषिण, गौतम, अपने पुत्र रुकुसहित प्रमति तथा अन्य सभी वनवासी श्रेष्ठ द्विज दयासे द्रवित होकर वहाँ आये
pramatiḥ saha putreṇa tathānye vanavāsinaḥ | tadanantaraṃ svastyātreyaḥ mahājānuḥ kuśikaḥ śaṅkhamekhalaḥ uddālakaḥ kaṭhaḥ mahāyaśasvī śvetaḥ bharadvājaḥ kauṇakutsyaḥ ārtiṣiṇiḥ gautamaḥ | apane putra rukusahitaḥ pramatiḥ tathā anye sarve vanavāsinaḥ śreṣṭhā dvijā dayāse dravitāḥ tatra āyuḥ ||
Śaunaka said: “Pramati came there together with his son, and so did other forest-dwelling ascetics. After them arrived Svastyātreya, Mahājānu, Kuśika, Śaṅkhamekhala, Uddālaka, Kaṭha, the illustrious Śveta, Bharadvāja, Kauṇakutsya, Ārtiṣiṇi, and Gautama. Moved by compassion, Pramati—accompanied by his son Ruku—and all those eminent twice-born sages who lived in the forest came to that place.”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dayā (compassion) as a defining virtue of the sages: even those devoted to austerity and forest life are ‘melted’ by empathy and respond by coming together, suggesting that spiritual excellence is inseparable from humane concern.
Śaunaka enumerates a succession of renowned forest-dwelling ṛṣis who arrive one after another. Pramati comes with his son Ruku, followed by several named sages; all are described as eminent dvijas who have come to the place, stirred by compassion.