Shloka 20
Adhyāya 123 — Droṇa’s Pedagogy: Arjuna’s Preeminence, Ekalavya’s Self-Training, and the Bhāsa-Lakṣya Trial
जाते वृकोदरे पाण्डुरिदं भूयो5न्वचिन्तयत् | कथं नु मे वर: पुत्रो लोकश्रेष्ठो भवेदिति,भीमसेनके जन्म लेनेपर पाण्डुने फिर इस प्रकार विचार किया कि मैं कौन-सा उपाय करूँ, जिससे मुझे सब लोगोंसे श्रेष्ठ उत्तम पुत्र प्राप्त हो
jāte vṛkodare pāṇḍur idaṃ bhūyo 'nvacintayat | kathaṃ nu me varaḥ putro lokaśreṣṭho bhaved iti ||
Lorsque Vṛkodara fut né, Pāṇḍu réfléchit de nouveau : «Par quel moyen pourrais-je obtenir un fils d’exception, qui devienne le meilleur parmi les hommes ?»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents deliberate aspiration: Pāṇḍu’s desire is not merely for a son, but for a son of exceptional excellence. It reflects a royal-ethical concern for the quality of leadership and legacy—seeking the ‘best’ as a responsibility tied to lineage and the welfare of the world.
After the birth of Vṛkodara (Bhīma), Pāṇḍu again begins to deliberate about how he might obtain another outstanding son—one who would be foremost among people. It signals the continuation of the Pāṇḍavas’ divine-assisted births and Pāṇḍu’s ongoing planning for heirs.