Shloka 1.38.18

सगरस्य पुत्रलाभः — Sagara’s Boons, Progeny, and the Rise of the Sixty Thousand

Devanagari script

घृतपूर्णेषु कुम्भेषु धात्र्यस्तान् समवर्धयन्।कालेन महता सर्वे यौवनं प्रतिपेदिरे।।।।

Transliteration

ghṛtapūrṇeṣu kumbheṣu dhātryas tān samavardhayan | kālena mahatā sarve yauvanaṃ pratipedire ||

Translation

In jars filled with clarified butter (ghee) the nurses reared them; and after a long passage of time, they all attained the fullness of youth.

Context

Nurses placed all of them in pots filled with clarified butter and fostered them. They attained adolescence after a long time.

Characters & Entities

• Nurses (dhātryaḥ)
• Sixty thousand sons (implied)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma includes responsible nurture: the community (caregivers) supports life and growth, showing that sustaining the young is a moral duty, not merely a private act.

What is the narrative situation?

The unusually born sons are preserved and brought up through special care until they reach adolescence.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Compassionate service and stewardship (the nurses’ devoted fostering).