Shloka 37
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 115 — Mādri’s request; invocation of the Aśvins; birth and naming of the Pāṇḍavas
शतमेकोनमप्यस्तु पुत्राणां ते महीपते । त्यजैनमेकं शान्तिं चेत् कुलस्येच्छसि भारत,“महीपते! आपके निन््यानबे पुत्र ही रहें; भारत! यदि आप अपने कुलकी शान्ति चाहते हैं तो इस एक पुत्रको त्याग दें
śatam ekonam apy astu putrāṇāṃ te mahīpate | tyajainam ekaṃ śāntiṃ cet kulasyecchasi bhārata ||
Vaiśampāyana nói: “Tâu Đại vương, xin cứ để ngài có chín mươi chín người con. Hỡi Bhārata, nếu ngài mong sự yên ổn cho dòng tộc, hãy từ bỏ đứa con này.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a principle of prioritizing the peace and integrity of the wider family and society over attachment to a single individual: when one person becomes the cause of persistent disorder, a ruler may need to renounce that person for the sake of collective harmony.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a king of the Bhārata/Kuru line is addressed with stark advice: rather than keeping all one hundred sons, he should keep ninety-nine and give up one—implying that this particular son threatens the peace of the dynasty.