Shloka 172
कल्माषपाद-शाप-कारणम्
Cause of Kalmāṣapāda’s Niyoga under a Curse
(कुरूद्धवा यतो यूयं कौरवा: कुरवस्तथा । पौरवा आजमीढाक्ष भारता भरतर्षभ || तापत्यमखिल प्रोक्तं वृत्तान्तं तव पूर्वकम् । पुरोहितमुखा यूय॑ भुड्ग्ध्वं वै पृथिवीमिमाम् ।।
gandharva uvāca |
kurūddhavā yato yūyaṃ kauravāḥ kuravas tathā |
pauravā ājamīḍhākṣa bhāratā bharatarṣabha ||
tāpatyam akhilaṃ proktaṃ vṛttāntaṃ tava pūrvakam |
purohitamukhā yūyaṃ bhuṅkdhvaṃ vai pṛthivīm imām ||
Dijo el Gandharva: “Puesto que habéis surgido de Kuru, se os llama ‘Kauravas’ y también ‘descendientes de Kuru’. Del mismo modo, por descender de Puru sois ‘Pauravas’; por haber nacido en la línea de Ajamīḍha sois ‘Ājamīḍhas’; y por nacer en la estirpe de Bharata sois ‘Bhāratas’, oh toro entre los Bhāratas. Así os he referido por completo el antiguo relato de Tapatī, vuestra antepasada. Ahora, poniendo al sacerdote familiar (purohita) al frente, proteged y gozad debidamente de esta tierra.”
गन्धर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dynastic power is framed as legitimate only when exercised under dharma: the king should place the purohita (custodian of ritual and counsel) in front and then protect and ‘enjoy’ the earth—i.e., rule responsibly, not merely possess.
A Gandharva concludes the Tapatī episode by explaining the various lineage-based names of the Kuru descendants (Kaurava, Paurava, Ājamīḍha, Bhārata) and then exhorts them to govern the realm with the guidance of their priest.