Shloka 25

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 115 — Mādri’s request; invocation of the Aśvins; birth and naming of the Pāṇḍavas

Devanagari script

जज्ञे क्रमेण चैतेन तेषां दुर्योधनो नृपः । जन्मतस्तु प्रमाणेन ज्येष्ठो राजा युधिछ्िर:,तदनन्तर दो वर्ष बीतनेपर जिस क्रमसे वे गर्भ उन कुण्डोंमें स्थापित किये गये थे, उसी क्रमसे उनमें सबसे पहले राजा दुर्योधन उत्पन्न हुआ। जन्मकालके प्रमाणसे राजा युधिष्ठिर उससे भी ज्येष्ठ थे

Transliteration

jajñe krameṇa caitena teṣāṃ duryodhano nṛpaḥ | janmatas tu pramāṇena jyeṣṭho rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||

Translation

తదనంతరం, ఏ క్రమమున ఆ గర్భములు కుండలలో ఉంచబడినవో, అదే క్రమమున వారిలో ముందుగా రాజు దుర్యోధనుడు జన్మించెను. అయితే జన్మకాల ప్రమాణమున రాజు యుధిష్ఠిరుడు అతనికన్నా జ్యేష్ఠుడు.

Word by Word

जज्ञेwas born

क्रमेणin order / sequentially

चand

एतेनby this (manner/means)

तेषाम्of them

दुर्योधनःDuryodhana

नृपःthe king

जन्मतःfrom birth / by birth

तुbut

प्रमाणेनby the evidence/measure (of time)

ज्येष्ठःelder

राजाking

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Duryodhana

Yudhiṣṭhira

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse distinguishes between mere sequence of emergence and the rightful criterion of seniority by actual birth-time, hinting at how claims to precedence and kingship should rest on proper standards rather than convenient appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana explains that although Duryodhana appeared first according to the order in which the embryos were arranged, Yudhiṣṭhira is still considered older when judged by the true measure of birth.