Shloka 3
पाण्डोः श्राद्धं, सत्यवत्याः वनगमनम्, बाल्यस्पर्धा च
Pāṇḍu’s Śrāddha, Satyavatī’s Withdrawal, and Childhood Rivalry
शश्रद्धर्मात्मना जातो बाल एव पिता मम । जीवितान्तमनुप्राप्त: कामात्मैवेति न: श्रुतम्,हमने सुना है, सदा धर्ममें मन लगाये रहनेवाले महाराज शन्तनुसे जिनका जन्म हुआ था, वे मेरे पिता विचित्रवीर्य भी कामभोगमें आसक्तचित्त होनेके कारण ही छोटी अवस्थामें ही मृत्युको प्राप्त हुए थे
śaśraddharmātmanā jāto bāla eva pitā mama | jīvitāntam anuprāptaḥ kāmātmaiveti naḥ śrutam ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: “Hemos oído que mi padre, Vicitravīrya, aunque nacido del gran rey Śantanu, de naturaleza inclinada a la fe y al dharma, llegó al término de su vida siendo aún joven, pues se dejó absorber por el deleite de los sentidos.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts a dharma-oriented disposition with the downfall that can follow when one becomes dominated by kāma (sensual desire), implying that ethical self-governance is essential even for those born with good tendencies.
Vaiśampāyana reports a received tradition about his father’s fate: despite being born with a righteous, faith-filled nature, he died young because he became absorbed in pleasure-seeking.