Shloka 19
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
तस्यां जज्ञे तदा नद्यां कन्या राजीवलोचना । नाम्ना सुदर्शना राजन् रूपेण च सुदर्शना
tasyāṃ jajñe tadā nadyāṃ kanyā rājīvalocanā | nāmnā sudarśanā rājan rūpeṇa ca sudarśanā ||
Bhishma berkata: Wahai Raja! Pada waktu itu, di sungai itu lahirlah seorang gadis bermata laksana teratai. Namanya Sudarśanā; dan dalam rupa pun ia sungguh ‘Sudarśanā’—indah serta membawa pertanda baik untuk dipandang.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights auspicious birth and the alignment of name and nature: ‘Sudarśanā’ is not only her given name but also a statement about her evident beauty and auspicious presence, reflecting a cultural-ethical idea that qualities can be read as signs of merit and destiny within dharmic narrative.
Bhīṣma narrates that a lotus-eyed girl is born in a river and is introduced by name as Sudarśanā; the repetition emphasizes both her identity and her striking beauty, setting up her significance for the ensuing story.