Shloka 17
Duryodhana Seized by Citraseṇa; Kaurava Petition to Yudhiṣṭhira (दुर्योधनापहारः / चित्रसेनगन्धर्वग्रहणम्)
भवेम पूज्या लोकस्य न ता: पूज्या: सुरर्षभ | प्रजा5स्माकं हृतास्ताभिस्त्वत्कृते ता: प्रयच्छ न:,सुरश्रेष्ठ! हम सम्पूर्ण जगत्की पूजनीया हों। जो पहले मातृकाएँ थीं, उनकी अब पूजा न हो। उन्होंने तुम्हारे लिये हमपर मिथ्या अपवाद लगाकर हमारे पतियोंको कुपित करके हमारे संतानसुखको छीन लिया है। अतः तुम हमें संतान प्रदान करो (हमारे पतियोंको अनुकूल करके हमें संतान-सुखकी प्राप्ति कराओ)
bhavema pūjyā lokasya na tāḥ pūjyāḥ surarṣabha | prajāsmākaṃ hṛtās tābhis tvatkṛte tāḥ prayaccha naḥ suraśreṣṭha ||
Skanda said: “May we become worthy of the world’s reverence, O bull among the gods; and let those (former) Mothers no longer be worshipped. For your sake they have robbed us of our offspring—by casting false blame upon us and inflaming our husbands against us, they have taken away our joy of children. Therefore, O best of the gods, grant us children—restore to us the blessing of progeny by turning our husbands favorable again.”
स्कन्द उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames progeny and marital harmony as blessings that can be disrupted by slander and social-religious rivalry; it also highlights the ethical weight of false accusation and the desire for restored honor and rightful well-being through divine intervention.
Skanda voices a plea on behalf of a group who feel deprived of children because certain ‘Mothers’ (Mātṛkās) have, for the sake of the addressed deity, spread false blame and turned their husbands against them; Skanda asks the god to reverse this harm by granting them progeny and restoring their standing.