Shloka 4

नियोगप्रसङ्गः — The Niyoga Episode: Births of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and Vidura

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्ता तदा गड़ा राजानमिदमतब्रवीत्‌ | भर्तरें जाह्नवी देवी शान्तनुं पुरुषर्षभ,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--नरश्रेष्ठ जनमेजय! अपने पति राजा शान्तनुके इस प्रकार पूछनेपर जह्लुपुत्री गंगादेवीने उनसे इस प्रकार कहा

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca—evam uktā tadā Gaṅgā rājānam idam abravīt | bhartāraṃ Jāhnavī devī Śāntanuṃ puruṣarṣabha ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను—ఓ పురుషశ్రేష్ఠా! ఈ విధంగా అడుగబడినప్పుడు ఆ సమయంలో జాహ్నవీ దేవి గంగా తన భర్త రాజు శాంతనునితో ఈ మాటలు పలికెను।

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

उक्ताhaving been addressed / spoken to

तदाthen

गङ्गाGaṅgā

राजानम्the king

इदम्this

अतत्that (not this) / that very (emphatic contrast)

अब्रवीत्said / spoke

भर्तरम्husband

जाह्नवीJāhnavī (Gaṅgā, daughter of Jahnu)

देवीthe goddess

शान्तनुम्Śāntanu

पुरुषर्षभO bull among men (best of men)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī)

Śāntanu

Janamejaya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds ethical speech within rightful relationships: a king’s inquiry and a wife’s (here, a goddess’s) response occur within the bounds of marital and royal dharma, emphasizing accountability, respectful address, and the gravity of forthcoming disclosure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues the story for King Janamejaya: after being questioned, Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī) begins her reply to her husband King Śāntanu, marking a transition into her explanation of prior events.