Shloka 139
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
निगूहमाना जात वै बन्धुपक्षभयात् तदा | उत्ससर्ज जले कुन्ती तं कुमारं यशस्विनम्,उस समय कुन्तीने पिता-माता आदि बान्धव-पक्षके भयसे उस यशस्वी कुमारको छिपाकर एक पेटीमें रखकर जलमें छोड़ दिया
nigūhamānā jātaṃ vai bandhu-pakṣa-bhayāt tadā | utsasarja jale kuntī taṃ kumāraṃ yaśasvinam ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Kemudian Kuntī, menyembunyikan bayi yang baru lahir itu kerana takut akan keluarga dan kaum kerabatnya, meletakkan budak yang termasyhur itu ke dalam sebuah peti lalu menghanyutkannya di atas air.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic dilemma shaped by social fear: Kuntī’s concealment shows how concern for family honor and public judgment can drive morally complex choices. Yet the method—setting the child afloat rather than killing—also suggests an attempt to preserve life while avoiding scandal, revealing the tension between societal norms and compassion.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kuntī, frightened of her relatives’ reaction, hides her newborn son and releases him into the water. This is the pivotal moment in the Karṇa-origin episode, where the child’s survival is left to fate and the river’s course.