Shloka 17

Duḥṣanta at Kaṇva-Āśrama; Śakuntalā’s Reception and Origin Prelude (दुःषन्तस्य कण्वाश्रमागमनम्)

Devanagari script

एक एव दिते: पुत्रो हिरण्यकशिपु: स्मृतः । नाम्ना ख्यातास्तु तस्येमे पठ्च पुत्रा महात्मन:,दितिका एक ही पुत्र हिरण्यकशिपु अपने नामसे विख्यात हुआ। उस महामना दैत्यके पाँच पुत्र थे

Transliteration

eka eva diteḥ putro hiraṇyakaśipuḥ smṛtaḥ | nāmnā khyātās tu tasyeme pañca putrā mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : « On se souvient que Diti n’eut qu’un seul fils, Hiraṇyakaśipu, illustre par son nom. Pourtant, ce Daitya à la grande âme eut cinq fils, chacun célébré à sa manière. »

Word by Word

एकःone (only)

एवindeed/only

दितेःof Diti

पुत्रःson

हिरण्यकशिपुःHiraṇyakaśipu

स्मृतःis remembered/known (as)

नाम्नाby name

ख्याताःrenowned/known

तुbut/and

तस्यof him/of that (person)

इमेthese

पञ्चfive

पुत्राःsons

महात्मनःof the great-souled (one)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Diti

Hiraṇyakaśipu

Daitya (as a class/lineage)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how tradition may remember a lineage through its most famous figure, yet a careful account preserves the broader family line; it encourages precision in transmitting genealogical and historical memory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana is recounting Daitya genealogy: Diti is commonly remembered for the renowned Hiraṇyakaśipu, and the narration then notes that Hiraṇyakaśipu himself had five sons who were also known by name.