Shloka 61
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 96 — काश्यकन्याहरणं, शाल्वसमागमः, अम्बावचनं च
Kāśī princesses taken; encounter with Śālva; Ambā’s declaration
स्वचापल्यादिदं प्राप्तवानहं शृूणोमि च नानपत्यस्य लोका: सन््तीति । सा त्वं मदर्थ पुत्रानुत्पादयेति कुन्तीमुवाच । सा तथोक्ता पुत्रानुत्पादयामास । धर्माद् युधिष्ठिरं मारुताद् भीमसेन॑ शक्रादर्जुनमिति,देवियो! अपनी चपलताके कारण मुझे यह शाप मिला है। सुनता हूँ, संतानहीनको पुण्यलोक नहीं प्राप्त होते हैं। अतः तुम मेरे लिये पुत्र उत्पन्न करो।” यह बात उन्होंने कुन्तीसे कही। उनके ऐसा कहनेपर कुन्तीने तीन पुत्र उत्पन्न किये--धर्मराजसे युधिष्ठिरको वायुदेवसे भीमसेनको और इन्द्रसे अर्जुनको जन्म दिया
vaiśampāyana uvāca | svacāpalyād idaṃ prāptavān ahaṃ śṛṇomi ca nānapatyasya lokāḥ santīti | sā tvaṃ madarthaṃ putrān utpādayeti kuntīm uvāca | sā tathoktā putrān utpādayāmāsa | dharmād yudhiṣṭhiraṃ mārutād bhīmasenaṃ śakrād arjunam iti |
Vaiśampāyana said: “Because of my own heedlessness I have incurred this curse; and I hear that one who has no offspring does not attain the meritorious worlds. Therefore, for my sake, you should beget sons.” Thus he spoke to Kuntī. Addressed in this way, Kuntī bore sons—Yudhiṣṭhira from Dharma, Bhīmasena from Māruta (Vāyu), and Arjuna from Śakra (Indra).
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage links personal responsibility (a curse incurred through one’s own heedlessness) with the social-ethical duty of continuing lineage: offspring are presented as connected to merit and posthumous welfare, motivating actions taken for family and dynastic continuity.
A man explains that, due to a curse brought on by his own impulsiveness, he fears the fate of being childless and thus asks Kuntī to bear sons for his sake. Kuntī then bears three sons through divine fathers: Yudhiṣṭhira from Dharma, Bhīma from Vāyu, and Arjuna from Indra.