Shloka 31

Pāṇḍu’s Marriages, Conquests, and Triumphal Return (पाण्डोर्विवाह-विजय-प्रत्यागमनम्)

Devanagari script

मातापित्रो: प्रजायन्ते पुत्रा: साधारणा: कवे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | mātāpitroḥ prajāyante putrāḥ sādhāraṇāḥ kave |

Translation

मातापित्रोः प्रजायन्ते पुत्राः साधारणाः कवे ।

Word by Word

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पित्रोः: of (the) two fathers/parents (father and mother as a pair is intended in context, but form is 'of two fathers')
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• प्रजायन्ते: are born / come into being
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-जन्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Ātmanepada

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• साधारणाः: common/shared (to both)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधारण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कवे: O sage/poet
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīṣma
• Śantanu
• Vicitravīrya
• Vidhātṛ (the Creator)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Parenthood is shared: since a child is born from both mother and father, both possess equal moral authority and responsibility regarding the child. The passage also elevates satya (truthfulness) as a guiding dharma, exemplified by Bhīṣma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker argues that maternal relation establishes real brotherhood just as paternal relation does. On that basis, the addressee is urged to recognize Vicitravīrya as a brother through the same mother, while Bhīṣma is praised for adhering to truth and rightful conduct.