Shloka 8
Āstīka-janma: Vāsuki’s Consolation and the Birth/Naming of Āstīka (अस्तीकोत्पत्तिः)
ततस्तु राजानममित्रतापनं समीक्ष्य ते तस्य नृपस्य मन्त्रिण: । सुवर्णवर्माणमुपेत्य काशिपं वपुष्टमार्थ वरयाम्प्रचक्रमु:,राजमन्त्रियोंने देखा, राजा जनमेजय शत्रुओंको दबानेमें समर्थ हो गये हैं, तब उन्होंने काशिराज सुवर्णवर्माके पास जाकर उनकी पुत्री वपुष्टमाके लिये याचना की
tatastu rājānam amitrātapanaṁ samīkṣya te tasya nṛpasya mantriṇaḥ | suvarṇavarmāṇam upetya kāśipaṁ vapuṣṭamā-artham varayām pracakramuḥ ||
Then, observing that King Janamejaya had become a formidable subduer of enemies, his ministers approached Suvarṇavarman, the king of Kāśī, and began to seek (in marriage) his daughter Vapuṣṭamā for their king. The episode highlights how royal policy and alliance-building through marriage are pursued once a ruler’s power and security are judged sufficient, raising ethical questions about the instrumental use of marriage for statecraft.
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores a principle of rājadharma: ministers assess the king’s strength and stability before pursuing major alliances. It also invites ethical reflection on how marriage can be treated as a tool of diplomacy and consolidation of power.
Janamejaya’s ministers, seeing him established as a powerful ruler, go to Suvarṇavarman of Kāśī to request his daughter Vapuṣṭamā in marriage for their king, initiating a formal proposal.