Shloka 45
दशपुत्रसहसत्राणि दशज्योतेर्महात्मन: । ततो दशगुणाश्चान्ये शतज्योतेरिहात्मजा:,महात्मा दशज्योतिके दस हजार पुत्र हुए। उनसे भी दस गुने अर्थात् एक लाख पुत्र यहाँ शतज्योतिके हुए
daśaputra-sahasrāṇi daśajyoter mahātmanaḥ | tato daśa-guṇāś cānye śatajyoter ihātmajāḥ ||
The great-souled Daśajyoti had ten thousand sons. From him, there were others ten times as many—here, the sons of Śatajyoti numbered one hundred thousand. The narration underscores extraordinary lineage and proliferation of descendants, a common epic device to convey the scale of ancient royal houses and their worldly power.
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily serves a genealogical purpose, highlighting how royal houses are portrayed as vast and powerful through immense progeny; implicitly, it reflects the epic theme that worldly greatness (numbers, lineage, fame) is expansive yet ultimately part of the transient historical canvas on which dharma is later tested.
In the opening genealogical survey of the Mahābhārata, the text enumerates descendants: Daśajyoti is said to have ten thousand sons, and Śatajyoti is said to have ten times that number—one hundred thousand—emphasizing the magnitude of certain lines within the broader dynastic account.