Shloka 17
नियोगप्रसङ्गः — The Niyoga Episode: Births of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and Vidura
दर्शयामास राजेन्द्र पुरा पौरवनन्दन । द्यौस्तदा तां तु दृष्टवैव गां गजेन्द्रेन्द्रविक्रम
vaiśampāyana uvāca | darśayāmāsa rājendra purā pauravanandana | dyauḥ tadā tāṃ tu dṛṣṭvaiva gāṃ gajendrendra-vikrama vṛṣabhake-samāṃ viśālā-netrāṃ mahārāja |
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「王よ、プル族の喜びよ。昔、女神は夫ディユに一頭の輝かしい牝牛を示した。牡牛のように大きな眼をもち、象王の主のごとき武威を備えた王よ、ディユはそれを見た瞬間、その卓越に打たれた。乳房は乳で満ちて美しく、尾も蹄も見事であった。あらゆる善徳を具え、最上の気質をもつゆえに、それは神々の宝のように見えた。」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse sets up an ethical tension: extraordinary benefits attached to a sacred object can provoke desire, but dharma requires restraint and respect for rightful ownership. The narrative foreshadows how coveting what belongs to a sage or another person leads to moral and karmic consequences.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that, in ancient times, a goddess showed her husband Dyau (a Vasu) a magnificent, broad-eyed cow. Dyau, impressed at first sight, observes her exceptional qualities—introducing the famed cow whose possession becomes central to the ensuing episode.