Shloka 130
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
पितुः स्वस्नीयपुत्राय सो5नपत्याय वीर्यवान् । अग्रमग्रे प्रतिज्ञाय स्वस्यापत्यस्य वै तदा
pituḥ svasnīya-putrāya so ’napatyāya vīryavān | agram agre pratijñāya svasyāpatyasya vai tadā ||
വൈശംപായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു— പിതാവിന്റെ സഹോദരിയുടെ പുത്രൻ സന്താനഹീനനെന്നു കണ്ട ആ വീരൻ മുമ്പേ തന്നെ അവനോടു ദൃഢപ്രതിജ്ഞ ചെയ്തു— “എന്റെ ആദ്യസന്താനത്തെ ഞാൻ നിനക്കു നൽകും” എന്നു.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of a pratijñā (solemn vow): a promise made out of familial responsibility and compassion becomes a binding moral commitment, shaping social and dynastic outcomes.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that the powerful Śūrasena, in response to Kuntibhoja’s childlessness (his father’s sister’s son), had earlier promised to give him his first-born child—setting up the later transfer/adoption that connects Kuntī to Kuntibhoja.