Shloka 21

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 181 — Svayaṃvara Aftermath: Arjuna–Karna Exchange and Bhīma–Śalya Contest

Devanagari script

तेन संगम्य ते भार्या तनयं जनयिष्यति । स ते वंशकर: पुत्रो भविष्यति नृपाधम,इस प्रकार ब्राह्मगी करुण विलाप करती हुई याचना कर रही थी, तो भी जैसे व्याप्र मनचाहे मृगको मारकर खा जाता है, उसी प्रकार राजाने अत्यन्त निर्दयीकी भाँति ब्राह्यणीके पतिको खा लिया। उस समय क्रोधसे पीड़ित हुई ब्राह्मणीके नेत्रोंसे धरतीपर आँसुओंकी जो बूँदें गिरी, वे सब प्रज्वलित अग्नि बन गयीं। उस अग्निने उस स्थानको जलाकर भस्म कर दिया। तदनन्तर पतिके वियोगसे व्यथित एवं शोकसंतप्त ब्राह्मणीने रोषमें भरकर राजर्षि कल्माषपादको शाप दिया--'ओ नीच! मेरी पतिविषयक कामना अभी पूर्ण नहीं हो पायी थी, तभी तूने अत्यन्त क्रूरकी भाँति मेरे देखते-देखते आज मेरे महायशस्वी प्रियतम पतिको अपना ग्रास बना लिया है; अतः दुर्बुद्धे! तू भी मेरे शापसे पीड़ित हुआ ऋतुकालमें पत्नीके साथ समागम करते ही तत्काल प्राण त्याग देगा। जिन महर्षि वसिष्ठके पुत्रोंका तुमने संहार किया है, उन्हींसे समागम करके तेरी पत्नी पुत्र पैदा करेगी। नृूपाधम! वही पुत्र तेरा वंश चलानेवाला होगा”

Transliteration

tena saṅgamya te bhāryā tanayaṁ janayiṣyati | sa te vaṁśakaraḥ putro bhaviṣyati nṛpādhama ||

Translation

The Gandharva said: “Uniting with him, your wife will conceive a son. That son will become the continuer of your lineage, O basest of kings.” In context, this statement follows a grim moral reversal: a king, driven by cruelty and appetite, violates the bounds of dharma by devouring a Brahmin, provoking the Brahmin’s wife to curse him. The verse underscores that even when a ruler falls into adharma and incurs a curse, the cosmic order still ensures continuity of lineage—yet through a path marked by transgression, retribution, and enforced consequence rather than righteous choice.

Word by Word

तेनby him/with him

संगम्यhaving united/met

तेyour

भार्याwife

तनयम्a son

जनयिष्यतिwill beget/give birth to

सःhe/that (son)

तेyour

वंशकरःlineage-continuing

पुत्रःson

भविष्यतिwill be

नृपाधमO worst of kings

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

Gandharva (speaker)

Kalmāṣapāda (king, implied by context)

the king’s wife (bhāryā)

the future son (putra)

Vasiṣṭha (implied by context of Vasiṣṭha’s sons)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights moral causality: when a ruler violates dharma, consequences follow through curse and suffering, yet social/cosmic continuity (lineage) may still be maintained—often in a way that exposes the ruler’s disgrace rather than affirming his virtue.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the king’s brutal act and the Brahmin woman’s curse, the Gandharva declares that the king’s wife will conceive a son through union with another man, and that son will continue the king’s lineage—signaling both the king’s punishment and the ensured continuation of his dynasty.