Shloka 12
अध्याय २०८ — इन्द्रियनिग्रहः, सत्याहिंसात्मकवाक्, कर्मफलविवेकः
Restraint of the Senses, Non-harming Truthful Speech, and Discernment of Karmic Consequence
एवं शतसहस्राणां शतं तस्य महात्मन: । पुत्राणां च न ते कंचिदिच्छन्त्यन्यं प्रजापतिम्,धर्मसे विचलित न होनेवाले युधिष्ठिर! शशबिन्दुके दस हजार स्त्रियाँ थीं। उनमेंसे प्रत्येकके गर्भसे एक-एक हजार पुत्र उत्पन्न हुए। इस प्रकार उन महात्माके एक करोड़ पुत्र थे। वे उनके सिवा किसी दूसरे प्रजापतिकी इच्छा नहीं करते थे
evaṁ śata-sahasrāṇāṁ śataṁ tasya mahātmanaḥ | putrāṇāṁ ca na te kaṁcid icchanty anyaṁ prajāpatiṁ ||
یوں اُس عظیمُ النفس بادشاہ کے بیٹوں کے سو گروہ تھے—ہر گروہ میں ایک ایک لاکھ؛ اس کی اولاد بے شمار تھی۔ اور وہ بیٹے اُس کے سوا کسی دوسرے پرجاپتی کو اپنا آقا ماننا نہیں چاہتے تھے۔
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores dharmic legitimacy in rulership: when a ruler is recognized as a rightful ‘prajāpati’—a sustaining, generative authority—subjects (here, his vast progeny) do not seek alternative allegiance. Moral authority and social stability are presented as intertwined.
Bhīṣma is describing the extraordinary progeny of a great king (Śaśabindu in the surrounding account): his sons were so numerous that they are counted as ‘a hundred hundred-thousands,’ and they acknowledged no other ‘prajāpati’ than him.