Shloka 15

Devanagari script

नियोगाद्‌ ब्रह्मण: पूर्व मया स्वेन बलेन च । वैचित्रवीर्यके क्षेत्रे जात: स सुमहामति:,“मैंने पूर्वकालमें ब्रह्माजीकी आज्ञाकें अनुसार अपने तपोबलसे विचित्रवीर्यके क्षेत्र (भार्या) में उस परम बुद्धिमान्‌ विदुरको उत्पन्न किया था

Transliteration

niyogād brahmaṇaḥ pūrvaṃ mayā svena balena ca | vaicitravīryake kṣetre jātaḥ sa sumahāmatiḥ ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను—పూర్వము బ్రహ్మాజ్ఞ ప్రకారము, నా స్వతపోబల ప్రభావముచే, వైచిత్రవీర్యుని భార్య క్షేత్రమందు ఆ పరమప్రాజ్ఞుడైన విదురుని నేను జనింపజేసితిని।

Word by Word

नियोगात्from the command/appointment

ब्रह्मणःof Brahmā

पूर्वम्formerly, earlier

मयाby me

स्वेनwith (my) own

बलेनpower, strength

चand

वैचित्रवीर्यकेin (the) Vichitravīrya-related

क्षेत्रेin the field; in the womb (wife)

जातःborn, produced

सःhe

सुमहामतिःof very great intellect

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Brahmā

Vicitravīrya

kṣetra (the lawful wife/womb as ‘field’)

Vidura (implied by context)

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 frames extraordinary procreation (niyoga) as legitimate only when guided by higher injunction and dharmic purpose—preserving lineage and social order—supported by personal discipline (tapas) rather than mere desire.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker recounts an earlier event: under Brahmā’s authorization and through ascetic power, he caused a supremely wise person (contextually, Vidura) to be born in the ‘field’ of Vicitravīrya’s wife, explaining the origin of that figure within the Kuru lineage.