Shloka 29
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
सुपार्श्व इति विख्यात: क्षितौ जज्ञे महीपति: । क्रथस्तु राजन् राजर्षि: क्षितौ जज्ञे महासुर:
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
supārśva iti vikhyātaḥ kṣitau jajñe mahīpatiḥ |
krathas tu rājan rājarṣiḥ kṣitau jajñe mahāsuraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Seorang raja lahir di bumi, termasyhur dengan nama Supārśva. Dan, wahai raja, Asura agung Kratha pun lahir di bumi sebagai seorang rājarṣi (resi-raja).
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s view that worldly power and lineage can be shaped by supra-human forces: beings of Asuric nature may take birth as kings, reminding readers to judge rulers by conduct (dharma) rather than status alone.
Vaiśampāyana continues a catalog of births, identifying how certain powerful beings (here, the Asura Kratha) manifest on earth in royal forms, alongside naming a king called Supārśva.