Shloka 1173
अध्याय ७४: अक्रोध–क्षमा–निवासनीति
Chapter 74: Non-anger, Forbearance, and the Ethics of Residence
भवेद्धि शड्क्यो लोकस्य नैव शुद्धों भवेदयम् | “मैं भी अपने इस पुत्रको इसी रूपमें जानता हूँ। यदि केवल शकुन्तलाके कहनेसे मैं इसे ग्रहण कर लेता, तो सब लोग इसपर संदेह करते और यह बालक विशुद्ध नहीं माना जाता”
bhaved dhi śaṅkyo lokasya naiva śuddho bhaved ayam |
Vaiśampāyana said: “Indeed, this child would become an object of suspicion to the world and would not be regarded as pure in status. I too know this son of mine to be of this very nature; yet if I were to accept him merely on Śakuntalā’s word, people would doubt him, and the boy would not be considered beyond reproach.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Personal conviction is not enough in matters of public dharma: a king must ensure that actions—especially recognizing an heir—are established in a way that removes reasonable doubt, so the child’s legitimacy and social standing remain uncontested.
In the Śakuntalā episode, the king reflects that accepting the boy solely on Śakuntalā’s statement would invite public suspicion; therefore he seeks a form of confirmation that will make the child publicly recognized as legitimate and ‘pure’ in status.