Shloka 11
Duḥṣanta at Kaṇva-Āśrama; Śakuntalā’s Reception and Origin Prelude (दुःषन्तस्य कण्वाश्रमागमनम्)
मरीचे: कश्यप: पुत्र: कश्यपात् तु इमा: प्रजा: । प्रजज्ञिरे महाभागा दक्षकन्यास्त्रयोदश,मरीचिके पुत्र कश्यप थे और कश्यपसे ही ये समस्त प्रजाएँ उत्पन्न हुई हैं। (ब्रह्माजीके एक पुत्र दक्ष भी हैं) प्रजापति दक्षके परम सौभाग्यशालिनी तेरह कन्याएँ थीं
Marīceḥ Kaśyapaḥ putraḥ; Kaśyapāt tu imāḥ prajāḥ | prajajñire mahābhāgā Dakṣakanyās trayodaśa ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Kaśyapa era filho de Marīci; e de Kaśyapa, de fato, nasceram todas estas linhagens de criaturas. Prajāpati Dakṣa teve treze filhas de ventura excelsa.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the Mahābhārata’s genealogical worldview: social and cosmic order is understood through lineage (prajā) traced to Prajāpatis like Marīci, Kaśyapa, and Dakṣa, grounding later narratives in a structured origin of beings.
Vaiśampāyana continues a genealogical account, stating that Kaśyapa—son of Marīci—is the source of many created beings, and introducing Dakṣa’s thirteen daughters, who will be important in explaining the proliferation of living lineages.