Shloka 12
आह्वानमन्त्रप्रयोगः — Kuntī’s Invocations and the Birth-Portents of the Pāṇḍavas
अथ पारशवीं कन्यां देवकस्य महीपते: । रूपयौवनसम्पन्नां स शुश्रावापगासुत:,एक समय गंगानन्दन भीष्मजीने सुना कि राजा देवकके यहाँ एक कन्या है, जो शूद्रजातीय स्त्रीके गर्भसे ब्राह्मणद्वारा उत्पन्न की गयी है। वह सुन्दर रूप और युवावस्थासे सम्पन्न है
atha pāraśavīṁ kanyāṁ devakasya mahīpateḥ | rūpayauvanasampannāṁ sa śuśrāvāpagāsutaḥ ||
Disse Vaiśampāyana: Então o filho do rio (Bhīṣma) ouviu que o rei Devaka tinha uma donzela de origem pāraśavī, dotada de beleza e viço juvenil. O relato destaca sua procedência social mista e, ao mesmo tempo, realça suas qualidades pessoais, preparando a tensão ética entre o estatuto pelo nascimento e o mérito do caráter.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds a recurring Mahābhārata concern: society often judges people by birth categories, yet the narrative also draws attention to personal qualities (beauty, youth, suitability). This tension invites reflection on dharma as a balance between social norms and individual merit.
Vaiśampāyana reports that Bhīṣma (son of Gaṅgā) learns of a maiden in King Devaka’s household described as pāraśavī and exceptionally beautiful and youthful—information that functions as a lead-in to ensuing matrimonial or political developments.