Shloka 21
Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)
तस्मात् सारस्वत: पुत्रो महांस्ते वरवर्णिनि । तवैव नाम्ना प्रथित:ः पुत्रस्ते लोकभावन:
tasmāt sārasvataḥ putro mahāṁs te varavarṇini | tavaiva nāmnā prathitaḥ putras te lokabhāvanaḥ |
毗舍婆耶那说道：“因此，肤色姣美的夫人啊，你这位伟大的儿子将以你的名而得名，世人将称他为‘萨罗娑伐多（Sārasvata）’。他是利益诸世界的施惠者。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical ideal that true greatness is measured by lokabhāvanā—benefiting and sustaining the world. It also underscores the cultural value of naming as a marker of origin, identity, and responsibility: the son’s name ‘Sārasvata’ ties him to Sarasvatī and to the expectation of world-welfare.
Vaiśaṃpāyana explains that a great son will be publicly known by the name derived from Sarasvatī—‘Sārasvata’—and characterizes him as lokabhāvana, one who promotes the good of the worlds, thereby affirming his eminence and the significance of his maternal association.