Shloka 86
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ
श्रेयान् सुधन्वा त्वत्तो वै मत्त: श्रेयांस्तथाज्िरा: । माता सुधन्वनश्वापि मातृतः श्रेयसी तव । विरोचन सुधन्वायं प्राणानामी श्वरस्तव,“विरोचन! सुधन्वा तुमसे श्रेष्ठ है, उसके पिता अंगिरा मुझसे श्रेष्ठ हैं और सुधन्वाकी माता तुम्हारी मातासे श्रेष्ठ है। अब यह सुधन्वा ही तुम्हारे प्राणोंका स्वामी है!
kāśyapa uvāca |
śreyān sudhanvā tvatto vai mattaḥ śreyāṁs tathāṅgirāḥ |
mātā sudhanvanaś cāpi mātṛtaḥ śreyasī tava |
virocana sudhanvāyaṁ prāṇānām īśvaras tava ||
کاشیپ نے کہا—اے ویروچن! سدھنوا یقیناً تجھ سے برتر ہے؛ اور اس کا باپ انگِرا مجھ سے برتر ہے؛ سدھنوا کی ماں بھی تیری ماں سے برتر ہے۔ پس اے ویروچن، یہی سدھنوا تیرے سانسوں، تیرے پرانوں کا مالک ہے۔
कश्यप उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a hierarchy of excellence (śreyas) grounded in recognized superiority—of a person and their lineage—and uses that hierarchy to establish legitimate authority: Virocana is told to accept Sudhanvā’s supremacy to the point of acknowledging him as ‘lord of his life-breaths,’ i.e., one whose command cannot be disregarded.
Kāśyapa addresses Virocana and formally declares Sudhanvā superior to him, then extends the comparison to their parents (Aṅgirā and the mothers). On that basis, Kāśyapa concludes that Sudhanvā holds decisive power over Virocana’s life, indicating a compelled submission or the settling of a contest by acknowledged superiority.