Shloka 14
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 181 — Svayaṃvara Aftermath: Arjuna–Karna Exchange and Bhīma–Śalya Contest
ऋतुकाले तु सम्प्राप्ते भर्तृव्यसनकर्शिता । अकृतार्था हाहं भर्त्रा प्रसवार्थ समागता
ṛtukāle tu samprāpte bhartṛvyasanakarśitā | akṛtārthā hāhaṃ bhartrā prasavārtha samāgatā ||
“But when the proper season arrived, I—worn down by the calamity that had befallen my husband—came to my husband seeking the begetting of a child; yet I remained unfulfilled. Alas!”
गन्धर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic and social importance traditionally placed on seeking progeny within marriage at the proper time (ṛtukāla), while also acknowledging the human cost of misfortune: grief and distress can frustrate even rightful aims, and lamentation arises from unfulfilled duty and desire.
The Gandharva speaker describes approaching her husband at the appropriate season for conception, intending to obtain a child, but she remains unsuccessful; she emphasizes her weakened state due to her husband’s misfortune and expresses sorrow at not achieving her purpose.