Mahabharata 1.78.21 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 78, Shloka 21
ययाति-देवयानी-शर्मिष्ठा विवादः — Śukra’s Curse and the Disclosure of Lineage
समुद्धर गृहीत्वा मां कुलीनस्त्वं हि मे मतः । जानामि त्वां हि संशान्तं वीर्यवन्तं यशस्विनम्
samuddhara gṛhītvā māṃ kulīnas tvaṃ hi me mataḥ | jānāmi tvāṃ hi saṃśāntaṃ vīryavantaṃ yaśasvinam ||
समुद्धर गृहीत्वा मां कुलीनस्त्वं हि मे मतः। जानामि त्वां हि संशान्तं वीर्यवन्तं यशस्विनम्॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links ethical worth to both birth and conduct: true nobility is recognized through calm self-restraint (saṃśānta) together with courage (vīrya) and an earned reputation (yaśas). It implies that those who are steady and honorable are fit to be trusted in acts of protection and rescue.
A speaker appeals to another person for immediate help—“lift me up and take me with you”—and justifies the request by affirming the other’s noble character, tranquility, valor, and fame, presenting these virtues as grounds for भरोसा (trust) in a moment of need.
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