Shloka 173
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 98 — Paraśurāma’s kṣatriya suppression; Dīrghatamas, Bali, Sudēṣṇā, and the birth of Aṅga
तपस्तेपे सुतस्यार्थे सभार्य: कुरुनन्दन । इसके बाद पुत्रके जन्मकी प्रतीक्षा करते हुए राजा प्रतीपने उसकी बात याद रखी। कुरुनन्दन! इन्हीं दिनों क्षत्रियोंमें श्रेष्ठ प्रतीप अपनी पत्नीको साथ लेकर पुत्रके लिये तपस्या करने लगे
tapas tepe sutasyārthe sabhāryaḥ kurunandana |
Vaiśampāyana said: “O delight of the Kurus, King Pratīpa, together with his queen, undertook austerities for the sake of obtaining a son. Remembering what had been spoken to him earlier, he waited in expectation of the child’s birth.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic ideal that rulers should seek continuity of lineage and responsibility through disciplined means: tapas (self-restraint and spiritual effort) rather than mere desire, showing patience, resolve, and ethical purpose in pursuing progeny.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that King Pratīpa, accompanied by his wife, undertakes austerities with the aim of obtaining a son, while keeping in mind an earlier instruction or promise and waiting for the child’s birth.