एवम् उक्ताब्रवीन् माद्रीं सकृच् चिन्तय दैवतम् ॥
तस्मात् ते भवितापत्यम् अनुरूपम् असंशयम् ॥
ततो माद्री विचार्यैव जगाम मनसाश्विनौ ॥
ताव् आगम्य सुतौ तस्यां जनयाम् आसतुर् यमौ ॥
नकुलं सहदेवं च रूपेणाप्रतिमौ भुवि ॥
तथैव ताव् अपि यमौ वाग् उवाचाशरीरिणी ॥
रूपसत्त्वगुणोपेताव् एताव् अन्याञ् जनान् अति ॥
भासतस् तेजसात्यर्थं रूपद्रविणसंपदा ॥
नामानि चक्रिरे तेषां शतशृङ्गनिवासिनः ॥
भक्त्या च कर्मणा चैव तथाशीर्भिर् विशां पते ॥
evam uktābravīn mādrīṃ sakṛc cintaya daivatam ||
tasmāt te bhavitāpatyam anurūpam asaṃśayam ||
tato mādrī vicāryaiva jagāma manasāśvinau ||
tāv āgamya sutau tasyāṃ janayām āsatur yamau ||
nakulaṃ sahadevaṃ ca rūpeṇāpratimau bhuvi ||
tathaiva tāv api yamau vāg uvācāśarīriṇī ||
rūpasattvaguṇopetāv etāv anyāñ janān ati ||
bhāsatas tejasātyarthaṃ rūpadraviṇasaṃpadā ||
nāmāni cakrire teṣāṃ śataśṛṅganivāsinaḥ ||
bhaktyā ca karmaṇā caiva tathāśīrbhir viśāṃ pate ||
"Thus entreated, Kunti said to Madri: 'Think but once upon a deity, and from that you will surely have fitting offspring.' Then Madri, having reflected, called upon the two Ashvins in her mind; and they came and begot upon her two twin sons -- Nakula and Sahadeva, unmatched in beauty on earth. And of those twins a bodiless voice spoke: 'Endowed with beauty, goodness, and virtues, these two surpass all other men, shining exceedingly with splendor and the richness of their beauty.' And the dwellers of Shatashringa gave them their names -- with love, according to their deeds, and with blessings, O lord of the people."
ce8efd7d3ddc · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:41:49 PM UTC
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Here are born the youngest Pandavas -- the twins Nakula and Sahadeva, sons of the two Ashvins. Telling is Madri's resourcefulness: she was permitted to think upon a deity "but once" -- and she chooses the Ashvins, twin gods, so as to gain two sons at a single stroke. Here is both wit and measure: without transgressing the permission (a single invocation), she made full and wise use of it. It is telling that the Ashvins are gods of beauty and healing, and that their sons will become renowned for beauty (Nakula) and wisdom (Sahadeva). Thus the wondrous birth of the Pandavas is completed: five sons of gods -- of Dharma, Vayu, Indra, and the two Ashvins -- gathered together as embodied virtues, called to serve dharma.