Shloka 3
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 178 — Royal Contestants Assemble; Cosmic Witnesses; The Bow Remains Unstrung
परासु: स यतस्तेन वसिष्ठ: स्थापितो मुनि: । गर्भस्थेन ततो लोके पराशर इति स्मृतः,उस बालकने गर्भमें आकर परासु (मरनेकी इच्छावाले) वसिष्ठ मुनिको पुनः जीवित रहनेके लिये उत्साहित किया था; इसलिये वह लोकमें “पराशर” के नामसे विख्यात हुआ
parāsuḥ sa yatastena vasiṣṭhaḥ sthāpito muniḥ | garbhasthena tato loke parāśara iti smṛtaḥ ||
ਉਹ ਬਾਲਕ ਗਰਭ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੀ ਮਰਨ ਦਾ ਸੰਕਲਪ (ਪਰਾਸੁ) ਕਰ ਚੁੱਕੇ ਮੁਨੀ ਵਸ਼ਿਸ਼ਠ ਨੂੰ ਰੋਕ ਕੇ ਜੀਵਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਟਿਕਾ ਗਿਆ; ਇਸ ਲਈ ਉਹ ਜਗਤ ਵਿੱਚ ‘ਪਰਾਸ਼ਰ’ ਨਾਮ ਨਾਲ ਯਾਦ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ।
गन्धर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic value of preserving life—especially the life of a righteous sage whose presence benefits the world—and portrays turning someone away from self-destruction as a meritorious act.
A Gandharva explains the origin of the name “Parāśara”: while still in the womb, the child influenced Vasiṣṭha—who had become resolved to die—to remain alive; hence the child became known as Parāśara in the world.