Shloka 73
Kirmīra-rākṣasa-saṃgamaḥ (Encounter and Slaying of Kirmīra) | किर्मीरेण सह भीमसेनसमागमः
प्रतिविन्ध्यो युधिष्ठिरात् सुतसोमो वृकोदरात् । अर्जुनाच्छुतकीर्तिश्व शतानीकस्तु नाकुलि:,युधिष्ठिरसे प्रतिविन्ध्य, भीमसेनसे सुतसोम, अर्जुनसे श्रुतकीर्ति, नकुलसे शतानीक और छोटे पाण्डव सहदेवसे श्रुतकर्माका जन्म हुआ है। ये सभी कुमार सच्चे पराक्रमी हैं। श्रीकृष्ण! आपका पुत्र प्रद्युम्न जैसा शूरवीर है, वैसे ही वे मेरे महारथी पुत्र भी हैं
prativindhyo yudhiṣṭhirāt sutasomo vṛkodarāt | arjunāc chrutakīrtiś ca śatānīkas tu nākuliḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: From Yudhiṣṭhira was born Prativindhya; from Bhīma (Vṛkodara), Sutasoma; from Arjuna, Śrutakīrti; and from Nakula, Śatānīka. By naming these sons, the narrative underscores the continuity of the Pāṇḍava line and the ideal that righteous kingship is sustained through worthy, valorous heirs who uphold dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dynastic continuity grounded in dharma: righteous rule is not merely personal but sustained through heirs who embody kṣatriya virtues—courage, responsibility, and the protection of social order.
Vaiśampāyana enumerates the sons born to the Pāṇḍavas—linking each child to his father—thereby situating the audience within the genealogical and political landscape that underlies later events.