Shloka 14
धृतराष्ट्र–दुर्योधन संवादः
Vāraṇāvata-vivāsana-nīti: Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Duryodhana’s Policy Dialogue
तस्याथ मिथुन जज्ञे गौतमस्य शरद्वत: । मृगयां चरतो राज्ञ: शन्तनोस्तु यदृच्छया,तदनन्तर गौतमनन्दन शरद्वानके उसी वीर्यसे एक पुत्र और एक कन्याकी उत्पत्ति हुई। उस दिन दैवेच्छासे राजा शन्तनु वनमें शिकार खेलने आये थे। उनके किसी सैनिकने वनमें उन युगल संतानोंको देखा। वहाँ बाणसहित धनुष और काला मृगचर्म देखकर उसने यह जान लिया कि “ये दोनों किसी धरनुर्वेदके पारंगत विद्वान ब्राह्मणकी संतानें हैं” ऐसा निश्चय होनेपर उसने राजाको वे दोनों बालक और बाणसहित धनुष दिखाया। राजा उन्हें देखते ही कृपाके वशीभूत हो गये और उन दोनोंको साथ ले अपने घर आ गये। वे किसीके पूछनेपर यही परिचय देते थे कि “ये दोनों मेरी ही संतानें हैं"
tasya atha mithunaṁ jajñe gautamasya śaradvatāḥ | mṛgayāṁ carato rājñaḥ śantanostu yadṛcchayā ||
ત્યારબાદ ગૌતમપુત્ર શરદ્વતના તે વીર્યમાંથી એક પુત્ર અને એક પુત્રી—એવા જોડિયા જન્મ્યા. એ જ સમયે દૈવયોગે શિકાર કરતાં રાજા શંતનુ ત્યાં આવી પહોંચ્યા.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a king’s dharma expressed as compassionate protection: Śantanu responds to vulnerable children not with suspicion but with care, taking responsibility for their welfare. It also suggests that signs of discipline and learning (bow, arrows, antelope-skin) indicate a cultured lineage, and that chance events (yadṛcchayā) can become vehicles for dharmic action.
Śaradvat, of Gautama’s lineage, has twins. During a hunt, King Śantanu’s party encounters the children in the forest and, noticing their martial-Brahmin markers (bow, arrows, black antelope-skin), concludes they are born of a learned Brahmin adept in archery. Śantanu, moved by compassion, brings them to his home and presents them as his own.