Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अऑरड..2 23. () हि २ 7 षर्डाधिकांत्रेशततमो< ध्याय: कुन्तीके, द्वारा सूर्यदेवताका आवाहन तथा कुन्ती-सूर्य- संवाद वैशग्पायन उवाच गते तस्मिन्‌ द्विजश्रेष्ठे कस्मिंश्चित्‌ कारणान्तरे । चिन्तयामास सा कन्या मन्त्रग्रामबलाबलम्‌,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं-जनमेजय! उन श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणके चले जानेपर किसी कारणवश- राजकन्या कुन्तीने मन-ही-मन सोचा; “इस मन्त्रसमूहमें कोई बल है या नहीं

Transliteration

Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca: gate tasmin dvijaśreṣṭhe kasmiṃścit kāraṇāntare | cintayāmāsa sā kanyā mantragrāmabalābalam ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When that excellent Brahmin had departed, at a certain later occasion the maiden Kuntī reflected inwardly on the mantra he had given—wondering whether this collection of sacred formulas truly possessed power or not. The moment frames a moral tension: curiosity and testing of spiritual means can open consequences that demand responsibility and restraint.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

गतेwhen (he) had gone

तस्मिन्in/when that (person)

द्विजश्रेष्ठेin the best of the twice-born (brahmins)

कस्मिंश्चित्in some

कारणान्तरेin another circumstance/reason

चिन्तयामासpondered, thought

साshe

कन्याthe maiden (Kuntī)

मन्त्रग्रामबलाबलम्the strength and non-strength (efficacy/inefficacy) of the collection of mantras

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Kuntī

dvijaśreṣṭha (an excellent Brahmin)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sacred power (mantra) is not merely to be tested out of curiosity; engaging spiritual means invites real consequences, so discernment and responsibility are essential.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the Brahmin who taught her the mantra has left, Kuntī privately wonders whether the mantra-set truly works, setting up the later episode of divine invocation (notably connected with Sūrya in this chapter’s theme).