Shloka 85

आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः

Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition

Devanagari script

मातुर्दोषादृषे: कोपादनन्‍्ध एव व्यजायत | अरिष्टाका पुत्र जो हंस नामसे विख्यात गन्धर्वराज था

Transliteration

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | mātur doṣād ṛṣeḥ kopād andha eva vyajāyata | ariṣṭakā-putro yo haṃsa nāma se vikhyāta gandharva-rājas sa eva kuruvaṃśa-vṛddhi-karaṇo vyāsa-nandanaḥ dhṛtarāṣṭra iti nāmnā prasiddhaḥ | dhṛtarāṣṭrasya bāhavaḥ bahu-vistīrṇāḥ | sa mahā-tejasvī nareśaḥ prajñā-cakṣuḥ (andhaḥ) āsīt | sa mātṛ-doṣāt maharṣi-kopāc ca andha eva jātaḥ || tasyaivāvarajo bhrātā mahā-sattvo mahā-balaḥ pāṇḍur iti nāmnā vikhyātaḥ | sa satya-dharme tatparaḥ pavitraś ca | putravatsu śreṣṭhaṃ buddhimatsu cottamaṃ parama-saubhāgyavantaṃ viduraṃ tvaṃ loke sūrya-putra-dharmāṃśa-sambhavaṃ manyasva |

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：由于母亲的过失与仙人的忿怒，他生来便失明。阿里什塔迦之子、名闻遐迩的乾闼婆王汉萨，化为毗耶娑之子，将使俱卢一族兴盛，世人称其为持国（Dhṛtarāṣṭra）。持国臂膀极其粗长；虽为威光赫奕之王，却被称作“以智慧为眼者”，亦即盲者。故因母之失与大牟尼之怒，他无目而降世。其弟具大勇大力，名扬为般度（Pāṇḍu）——笃行真实与法（dharma），行止清净。至于毗度罗（Vidura）——智者中最卓越、德行中最为先——当知他在此世由法神（Dharma）之一分而生，为日神之子。

Word by Word

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• दोषात्: from the fault
• दोषात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• ऋषेः: of the sage
• ऋषेः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• कोपात्: from (his) anger
• कोपात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अन्धः: blind
• अन्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अजायत: was born
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• तस्य: of him/of that (one)
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अवरजः: younger
• अवरजः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवरज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भ्राता: brother
• भ्राता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महासत्त्वः: of great strength/valor
• महासत्त्वः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महासत्त्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाबलः: very strong
• महाबलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पाण्डुः: Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Vyāsa
• Kuruvaṃśa (Kuru dynasty)
• Ariṣṭakā
• Haṃsa (Gandharva-king)
• Gandharva-rāja (king of Gandharvas)
• Pāṇḍu
• Vidura
• Dharma (personified)
• Sūrya (Sun)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage frames royal destiny within an ethical-causal universe: personal lapses (doṣa) and ascetic wrath (ṛṣi-kopa) bear consequences, yet dharma also manifests through exemplary figures like Vidura, whose wisdom and righteousness are presented as a stabilizing force for governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana explains the births and qualities of the Kuru princes: Dhṛtarāṣṭra is born blind due to the mother’s fault and a sage’s anger; his younger brother Pāṇḍu is described as strong, pure, and devoted to truth and dharma; and Vidura is identified as an embodiment (aṃśa) of Dharma, famed for wisdom and good fortune.