Diti’s Puṁsavana Vow, Indra’s Intervention, and the Birth of the Maruts
बाणज्येष्ठं पुत्रशतमशनायां ततोऽभवत् । तस्यानुभावं सुश्लोक्यं पश्चादेवाभिधास्यते ॥ १७ ॥
bāṇa-jyeṣṭhaṁ putra-śatam aśanāyāṁ tato ’bhavat tasyānubhāvaṁ suślokyaṁ paścād evābhidhāsyate
Ensuite, Bali Mahārāja engendra cent fils dans le sein d’Aśanā. Parmi ces cent, le roi Bāṇa était l’aîné. Les actes très louables de Bali Mahārāja seront décrits plus tard (dans le Huitième Chant).
This verse identifies Bāṇa as the eldest among one hundred sons born from Aśanā (the personified Hunger), and notes that his lineage’s exploits are described later.
It states that Aśanā is the progenitor of a hundred sons, indicating a personified principle through whom a particular line of beings is generated.
The verse reminds readers that actions and qualities (even personified forces like “hunger”) produce outcomes and lineages—encouraging mindful regulation of drives and cultivating sattvic tendencies for better results.