Shloka 96
Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)
फिर वे ही ऋषि मन्त्रोच्चारणपूर्वक वेनकी दाहिनी जड़घाका मन्थन करने लगे। उससे इस पृथ्वीपर एक नाटे कदका मनुष्य उत्पन्न हुआ, जिसकी आकृति बेडौल थी ।।
tata eva ṛṣayo mantroccāraṇapūrvakaṃ venasya dakṣiṇāṃ jaḍghāṃ manthayām āsuḥ | tasmād asyāṃ pṛthivyāṃ hrasvakāyo manuṣyaḥ samutpannaḥ, yasya ākṛtir viṣamā babhūva || dagdhastūṇāpratīkāśo raktākṣaḥ kṛṣṇamūrdhajaḥ | niṣīdety evam ūcustam ṛṣayo brahmavādinaḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Kemudian para resi itu, setelah melafazkan mantra suci, mula mengadun paha kanan Vena. Daripadanya lahirlah di bumi seorang lelaki bertubuh rendah, cacat bentuknya. Dia tampak seperti tiang yang hangus, bermata merah dan berambut hitam. Melihatnya, para resi yang mengetahui Veda berkata: ‘Niṣīda’—‘Duduklah.’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage underscores that a ruler’s adharma can yield distorted social and moral outcomes, while also showing the perceived potency of Vedic ritual action (mantra + rite) to bring forth consequences and new orders of beings.
The sages perform a mantra-sanctioned churning of King Vena’s right thigh, producing a short, misshapen man described as like a burnt pillar; they name/command him with the word “Niṣīda” (“Sit”), marking his identity and role in the unfolding genealogy.