Parīkṣit’s Inquiry into Vṛtrāsura’s Bhakti and the Beginning of Citraketu’s Trial
मातुस्त्वतितरां पुत्रे स्नेहो मोहसमुद्भव: । कृतद्युते: सपत्नीनां प्रजाकामज्वरोऽभवत् ॥ ३७ ॥
mātus tv atitarāṁ putre sneho moha-samudbhavaḥ kṛtadyuteḥ sapatnīnāṁ prajā-kāma-jvaro ’bhavat
L’attachement de la mère pour son fils, né de l’illusion, s’accrut démesurément. Voyant le fils de Kṛtadyuti, les autres épouses furent agitées par le désir d’avoir des enfants, comme saisies d’une forte fièvre.
This verse states that excessive maternal attachment to a son arises from moha (delusion), and that intense desire for progeny can become a form of suffering, described as a fever.
Because it burns the mind with constant longing and rivalry, especially among co-wives, turning a natural wish into distress and agitation.
It encourages balancing love with spiritual clarity—reducing possessiveness and anxiety by remembering that relationships are temporary and should be connected to devotion and dharma.