Mahabharata · 1.113.1–2
॥
Devanāgarī
वैशंपायन उवाच
एवम् उक्तस् तया राजा तां देवीं पुनर् अब्रवीत् ॥
धर्मविद् धर्मसंयुक्तम् इदं वचनम् उत्तमम् ॥
एवम् एतत् पुरा कुन्ति व्युषिताश्वश् चकार ह ॥
यथा त्वयोक्तं कल्याणि स ह्य् आसीद् अमरोपमः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
evam uktas tayā rājā tāṃ devīṃ punar abravīt ||
dharmavid dharmasaṃyuktam idaṃ vacanam uttamam ||
evam etat purā kunti vyuṣitāśvaś cakāra ha ||
yathā tvayoktaṃ kalyāṇi sa hy āsīd amaropamaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवम् उक्तः तया राजा तां देवीं पुनः अब्रवीत्evam uktaḥ tayā rājā tāṃ devīṃ punaḥ abravītso entreated by her, the king again said to that blessed one —
धर्मवित् धर्मसंयुक्तम् इदं वचनम् उत्तमम्dharmavit dharmasaṃyuktam idaṃ vacanam uttamamthe knower of dharma — this excellent word in accord with dharma:
एवम् एतत् पुरा कुन्ति व्युषिताश्वः चकार हevam etat purā kunti vyuṣitāśvaḥ cakāra ha«so it was of old, O Kunti; Vyushitashva did thus,
यथा त्वया उक्तं कल्याणि सः हि आसीत् अमरोपमःyathā tvayā uktaṃ kalyāṇi saḥ hi āsīt amaropamaḥas you have said, O gracious one — for he was godlike
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaoriginal form "vaiśaṃpāyana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उक्तस्uktasoriginal form "uktas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुनर्punaroriginal form "punar", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मविद्dharmavidoriginal form "dharmavid", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
व्युषिताश्वश्vyuṣitāśvaśoriginal form "vyuṣitāśvaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वयोक्तंtvayoktaṃoriginal form "tvayoktaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्य्hyoriginal form "hy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आसीद्āsīdoriginal form "āsīd", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Vaishampayana said: 'So entreated by her, the king — a knower of dharma — again spoke to that blessed one this excellent word in accord with dharma: "So it was of old, O Kunti; Vyushitashva acted thus, as you have said, O gracious one — for he was godlike."'
Version
77fb9a91acf0 · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:41:49 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here Pandu acknowledges the justice of Kunti's argument, yet does not yield his point. His honest agreement is telling: he does not reject his wife's example but accepts it — while noting that Vyushitashva "was godlike," that is, possessed an exceptional power of austerity that Pandu, deprived of procreative strength by a curse, does not have. Here lies sound judgment: invoking another's feat is well and good, but one must know the measure of one's own strength. Thus the scripture prepares Pandu's further exhortation: since he himself is no Vyushitashva, he must choose another path, likewise sanctified by dharma — niyoga.