Shloka 17
Droṇa–Vidura–Gāndhārī Counsel in the Royal Assembly (धर्मार्थयुक्ता सभा-उपदेश-प्रकरणम्)
मम तात पिता राजन् शान्तनुर्लोकविश्रुत: । तस्याहमेक एवासं पुत्र: पुत्रवतां वर:,“तात! मेरे पिता शान्तनु विश्वविख्यात नरेश थे, जो पुत्रवानोंमें श्रेष्ठ समझे जाते थे। राजन! मैं उनका इकलौता पुत्र था
mama tāta pitā rājan śāntanur lokaviśrutaḥ | tasyāham eka evāsaṃ putraḥ putravatāṃ varaḥ |
Vāyu said: “O King, my father was Śāntanu, renowned throughout the world. Of that illustrious ruler—counted among the foremost of those blessed with sons—I was his only son.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of lineage and reputation: a ruler’s world-known standing (lokaviśruta) and the status of being ‘foremost among those with sons’ frame the speaker’s identity and responsibility, implying that one’s conduct should be worthy of an illustrious ancestry.
Vāyu introduces his paternal lineage to the king he is addressing, identifying Śāntanu as his famous father and stating that he was Śāntanu’s only son—setting context for a genealogical or identity-related explanation within the Udyoga Parva’s broader negotiations and preparations.