Shloka 5
Jarāsandha–Bhīma Niyuddha-prastāvaḥ
Commencement of the Regulated Duel
शूद्रायां गौतमो यत्र महात्मा संशितव्रत:ः । औशीनर्यामजनयत् काक्षीवाद्यान् सुतान् मुनि:,यहीं अत्यन्त कठोर व्रतका पालन करनेवाले महामना गौतमने उशीनरदेशकी शूद्रजातीय कन्याके गर्भसे काक्षीवान् आदि पुत्रोंको उत्पन्न किया था
śūdrāyāṃ gautamo yatra mahātmā saṃśitavrataḥ | auśīnaryām ajanayat kākṣīvād-yān sutān muniḥ ||
Vāyu said: “In that place, the great-souled sage Gautama, steadfast in severe vows, begot sons—beginning with Kakṣīvān—upon a Śūdra maiden of the Auśīnara country.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic nuance: spiritual greatness (mahātmā, saṃśitavrata) and the emergence of notable descendants are not portrayed as strictly limited by social birth; ascetic discipline and circumstance can produce revered lineages even through a Śūdra woman.
Vāyu is citing an example from earlier tradition: the sage Gautama, renowned for strict vows, fathered sons—starting with Kakṣīvān—through a woman associated with the Auśīnara region who is described as Śūdra by birth.