मृगयां चरतो राज्ञः शंतनोस् तु यदृच्छया ॥
कश् चित् सेनाचरो ऽरण्ये मिथुनं तद् अपश्यत ॥
धनुश् च सशरं दृष्ट्वा तथा कृष्णाजिनानि च ॥
व्यवस्य ब्राह्मणापत्यं धनुर्वेदान्तगस्य तत् ॥
स राज्ञे दर्शयाम् आस मिथुनं सशरं तदा ॥
स तद् आदाय मिथुनं राजाथ कृपयान्वितः ॥
आजगाम गृहान् एव मम पुत्राव् इति ब्रुवन् ॥
mṛgayāṃ carato rājñaḥ śaṃtanos tu yadṛcchayā ||
kaś cit senācaro 'raṇye mithunaṃ tad apaśyata ||
dhanuś ca saśaraṃ dṛṣṭvā tathā kṛṣṇājināni ca ||
vyavasya brāhmaṇāpatyaṃ dhanurvedāntagasya tat ||
sa rājñe darśayām āsa mithunaṃ saśaraṃ tadā ||
sa tad ādāya mithunaṃ rājātha kṛpayānvitaḥ ||
ājagāma gṛhān eva mama putrāv iti bruvan ||
"When King Shantanu was hunting, by chance a certain soldier from the army saw that pair of twins in the forest; and, seeing the bow with its arrow and the black antelope skins, judging that this was the offspring of a brahmin versed in dhanurveda, he showed the king that pair of twins along with the arrow. The king, taking that pair of twins, filled with compassion, returned home, saying: 'These are my children.'"
3656f77cb876 · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:41:49 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here Shantanu's mercy saves the abandoned children. It is significant that the king, finding unknown infants in the forest, does not pass by but, "filled with compassion" (kripa), takes them as his own. Here is shown the virtue of compassion (karuna) in a righteous ruler: a true king is a father not only to his subjects but to any helpless one whom chance sends his way. It is significant too that providence watches over the abandoned: as Karna was saved by adoptive parents, so these children of the ascetic are saved by a king — heaven does not forsake those born for a great role. Thus scripture shows that a king's compassion becomes an instrument of providence, and from Shantanu's pity will come the name and destiny of the future teacher of heroes.