Shloka 3
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 115 — Mādri’s request; invocation of the Aśvins; birth and naming of the Pāṇḍavas
जनमेजय उवाच कथं पुत्रशतं जज्ञे गान्धार्या द्विजसत्तम | कियता चैव कालेन तेषामायुश्न कि परम्,जनमेजयने पूछा--द्विजश्रेष्ठ! गान्धारीसे सौ पुत्र किस प्रकार और कितने समयमें उत्पन्न हुए? और उन सबकी पूरी आयु कितनी थी?
Janamejaya uvāca: kathaṁ putraśataṁ jajñe Gāndhāryā dvijasattama? Kiyatā caiva kālena teṣām āyuḥ ki param?
Sinabi ni Janamejaya: “O pinakamainam sa mga isinilang na makalawa, paano nagsilang si Gāndhārī ng sandaang anak na lalaki? At makalipas ang gaano katagal sila isinilang? At ano pa, gaano kahaba ang ganap na haba ng kanilang buhay?”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models disciplined inquiry: a ruler seeks precise knowledge about origins, time, and lifespan—reminding readers that understanding lineage and causality is foundational for judging later ethical outcomes in the epic.
Janamejaya asks the narrating Brahmin sage to explain the extraordinary birth of Gāndhārī’s hundred sons, the duration until their birth, and the extent of their lives—setting up the account of the Kauravas’ origin.