Shloka 12

Satyavatī’s Disclosure and the Summoning of Vyāsa

Niyoga for Kuru Succession

Devanagari script

रममाणस्तया सार्ध यथाकामं नरेश्वर: | अष्टावजनयत्‌ पुत्रांस्तस्थाममरसंनि भान्‌,उसके साथ इच्छानुसार रमण करते हुए महाराज शान्तनुने उसके गर्भसे देवताओंके समान तेजस्वी आठ पुत्र उत्पन्न किये

Transliteration

ramamāṇas tayā sārdha yathākāmaṁ nareśvaraḥ | aṣṭāv ajanayat putrāṁs tasthām amarasaṁnibhān ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Enjoying her company as he wished, the king Śāntanu begot eight sons upon her—sons radiant and splendid like the gods.

Word by Word

• रममाणः: sporting/enjoying
• रममाणः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तया: with her
• तया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सार्धम्: together (with)
• सार्धम्: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम्

• यथा: as/according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• कामम्: desire; wish
• कामम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नरेश्वरः: king (lord of men)
• नरेश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अजनयत्: begot/produced
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) / जनय् (णिजन्त)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• तस्थौ: remained/stayed
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्ष भूत/परिपूर्ण), परस्मैपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

• अमर-सन्निभान्: resembling the immortals (gods)
• अमर-सन्निभान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमर + सन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Śāntanu
• the queen/consort (Gaṅgā, implied)
• eight sons (unnamed here)
• Amaras (the gods, as a comparison)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dynastic continuity and the king’s duty to sustain the lineage, while suggesting that extraordinary births often signal larger karmic and narrative consequences in the epic’s moral universe.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śāntanu lives with his consort and, in due course, eight sons are born to them, described as godlike in radiance—setting up the subsequent events surrounding these children.