Shloka 1.70.2

वंशवर्णनम् तथा विवाहप्रार्थना — Genealogy of the Ikshvaku Line and the Proposal for Marriage

Devanagari script

भ्राता मम महातेजा यवीयानतिधार्मिक:।कुशध्वज इति ख्यात: पुरीमध्यवसच्छुभाम्।।1.70.2।।वार्याफलकपर्यन्तां पिबन्निक्षुमतीं नदीम्।साङ्काश्यां पुण्यसङ्काशां विमानमिव पुष्पकम्।।1.70.3।।

Transliteration

avyakta-prabhavo brahmā śāśvato nitya avyayaḥ |

tasmān marīciḥ sañjajñe marīceḥ kāśyapaḥ sutaḥ || 1.70.20 ||

Translation

From the Unmanifest arose Brahmā—eternal, constant, and imperishable. From him was born Marīci; and from Marīci was born his son Kaśyapa.

Context

"The extremely righteous, renowned and most brilliant Kusadhwaja, my younger brother is (at present) ruling the sacred kingdom of Sankasya, which is like the aerial chariot Pushpaka, with darts planted in water as boundary on the bank of the auspicious, sacred river Ikshumati.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Avyakta (the Unmanifest)
• Marīci
• Kaśyapa

FAQs

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

Dharma is grounded in truth-bearing tradition: lineage narration links human royal legitimacy to a sacred cosmological order, emphasizing continuity and accountability.

What is the narrative situation?

Vasiṣṭha begins the formal genealogy of the Ikṣvāku line by tracing origins through primordial figures.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Vasiṣṭha’s fidelity to satya—accurate, orderly transmission of inherited knowledge.