Shloka 16

आदि पर्व, अध्याय 96 — काश्यकन्याहरणं, शाल्वसमागमः, अम्बावचनं च

Kāśī princesses taken; encounter with Śālva; Ambā’s declaration

Devanagari script

सार्वभौम: खलु जित्वा जहार कैकेयीं सुनन्दां नाम | तामुपयेमे । तस्यामस्य जज्ञे जयत्सेनो नाम,सार्वभौमने युद्धमें जीतकर केकयकुमारी सुनन्दाका अपहरण किया और उसीको अपनी पत्नी बनाया। उससे उनको जयत्सेन नामक पुत्र प्राप्त हुआ

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: Sārvabhaumaḥ khalu jitvā jahāra Kaikeyīṃ Sunandāṃ nāma; tām upayeme. Tasyām asya jajñe Jayatseno nāma.

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: Одержав победу в битве, Сарвабхаума увёз силой кекайскую царевну по имени Сунанда и взял её в жёны. От неё родился у него сын по имени Джаяцена.

Word by Word

सार्वभौमःSārvabhauma (a king named Sārvabhauma)

खलुindeed / surely

जित्वाhaving conquered

जहारcarried off / abducted

कैकेयीम्Kaikeyī (a woman of the Kekaya line)

सुनन्दाम्Sunandā

नामby name

ताम्her

उपयेमेmarried / took (as wife)

तस्याम्in her / from her (i.e., in that wife)

अस्यof him

जज्ञेwas born

जयत्सेनःJayatsena (name of the son)

नामby name

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Sārvabhauma

Kekaya (Kaikeya)

Sunandā

Jayatsena

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse is primarily genealogical, but it implicitly highlights how royal power and warfare can shape family lines. It also invites ethical reflection: conquest-based abduction and subsequent marriage may be presented as a political reality of kṣatriya life, yet it creates tension with ideals of consent and dharma, a recurring moral complexity in the Mahābhārata.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that King Sārvabhauma, after winning a conflict, carried off a Kekaya princess named Sunandā, married her, and had a son by her named Jayatsena—continuing the dynastic succession.