Shloka 16

आदि पर्व, अध्याय 96 — काश्यकन्याहरणं, शाल्वसमागमः, अम्बावचनं च

Kāśī princesses taken; encounter with Śālva; Ambā’s declaration

Devanagari script

सार्वभौम: खलु जित्वा जहार कैकेयीं सुनन्दां नाम | तामुपयेमे । तस्यामस्य जज्ञे जयत्सेनो नाम,सार्वभौमने युद्धमें जीतकर केकयकुमारी सुनन्दाका अपहरण किया और उसीको अपनी पत्नी बनाया। उससे उनको जयत्सेन नामक पुत्र प्राप्त हुआ

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: Sārvabhaumaḥ khalu jitvā jahāra Kaikeyīṃ Sunandāṃ nāma; tām upayeme. Tasyām asya jajñe Jayatseno nāma.

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า—สารวเภามะเมื่อมีชัยในศึกแล้ว ได้ฉุดเอาสุนันทา ราชธิดาแห่งแคว้นเคกยะมา และรับนางเป็นมเหสี จากครรภ์นางนั้น เขามีโอรสชื่อ ชยัตเสนะ

Word by Word

सार्वभौमःSārvabhauma (a king named Sārvabhauma)

खलुindeed / surely

जित्वाhaving conquered

जहारcarried off / abducted

कैकेयीम्Kaikeyī (a woman of the Kekaya line)

सुनन्दाम्Sunandā

नामby name

ताम्her

उपयेमेmarried / took (as wife)

तस्याम्in her / from her (i.e., in that wife)

अस्यof him

जज्ञेwas born

जयत्सेनःJayatsena (name of the son)

नामby name

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Sārvabhauma

Kekaya (Kaikeya)

Sunandā

Jayatsena

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse is primarily genealogical, but it implicitly highlights how royal power and warfare can shape family lines. It also invites ethical reflection: conquest-based abduction and subsequent marriage may be presented as a political reality of kṣatriya life, yet it creates tension with ideals of consent and dharma, a recurring moral complexity in the Mahābhārata.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that King Sārvabhauma, after winning a conflict, carried off a Kekaya princess named Sunandā, married her, and had a son by her named Jayatsena—continuing the dynastic succession.