Shloka 44

आदि पर्व, अध्याय 96 — काश्यकन्याहरणं, शाल्वसमागमः, अम्बावचनं च

Kāśī princesses taken; encounter with Śālva; Ambā’s declaration

Devanagari script

प्रतिश्रवस: प्रतीप: खलु । शैब्यामुपयेमे सुनन्दां नाम । तस्यां पुत्रानुत्पादयामास देवापिं शान्तनुं बाह्लीकं चेति,प्रतिश्रवासे प्रतीप उत्पन्न हुआ। उसने शिबि-देशकी राजकन्या सुनन्दासे विवाह किया और उसके गर्भसे देवापि, शान्तनु तथा बाह्नीक--इन तीन पुत्रोंको जन्म दिया

Transliteration

pratiśravasaḥ pratīpaḥ khalu | śaibyām upayeme sunandāṃ nāma | tasyāṃ putrān utpādayāmāsa devāpiṃ śāntanuṃ bāhlīkaṃ ceti |

Translation

毗湿摩波罗耶那（Vaiśampāyana）说道：确由普罗底施罗婆娑（Pratiśravas）生出普罗底波（Pratīpa）。普罗底波迎娶尸毗国（Śibi）公主苏难陀（Sunandā）。由她诞下三子——提婆阿毗（Devāpi）、商檀奴（Śāntanu）与婆诃利迦（Bāhlīka）——使王统依正法而有序延续。

Word by Word

प्रतिश्रवसःPratiśravas (name)

प्रतीपःPratīpa (name)

खलुindeed, certainly

शैब्याम्Śaibyā (a woman; Śibi-king’s daughter)

उपयेमेmarried, took (as wife)

सुनन्दाम्Sunandā (name)

नामby name, named

तस्याम्in her, in that (wife)

पुत्रान्sons

उत्पादयामासbegot, produced

देवापिम्Devāpi (name)

शान्तनुम्Śāntanu (name)

बाह्लीकम्Bāhlīka (name)

चand

इतिthus (ending quotation/list)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pratiśravas

Pratīpa

Sunandā

Śibi (country/people)

Devāpi

Śāntanu

Bāhlīka

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores dynastic continuity through dharmic marriage and legitimate progeny—an ethical ideal in royal narratives where orderly succession supports social stability and the preservation of lineage duties.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues the Kuru genealogy: Pratīpa is born from Pratiśravas, marries Sunandā of the Śibi realm, and fathers three sons—Devāpi, Śāntanu, and Bāhlīka.