Mahabharata · 1.168.24–25
॥
Devanāgarī
दीर्घकालधृतं गर्भं सुषाव न तु तं यदा ॥
साथ देव्य् अश्मना कुक्षिं निर्बिभेद तदा स्वकम् ॥
द्वादशे ऽथ ततो वर्षे स जज्ञे मनुजर्षभ ॥
अश्मको नाम राजर्षिः पोतनं यो न्यवेशयत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dīrghakāladhṛtaṃ garbhaṃ suṣāva na tu taṃ yadā ||
sātha devy aśmanā kukṣiṃ nirbibheda tadā svakam ||
dvādaśe 'tha tato varṣe sa jajñe manujarṣabha ||
aśmako nāma rājarṣiḥ potanaṃ yo nyaveśayat ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
दीर्घकालधृतं गर्भं सुषाव न तु तं यदाdīrghakāladhṛtaṃ garbhaṃ suṣāva na tu taṃ yadāwhen she did not deliver the child carried for a long time,
सा अथ देवी अश्मना कुक्षिं निर्बिभेद तदा स्वकम्sā atha devī aśmanā kukṣiṃ nirbibheda tadā svakamthen that queen cut open her own womb with a stone;
द्वादशे अथ ततः वर्षे सः जज्ञे मनुजर्षभdvādaśe atha tataḥ varṣe saḥ jajñe manujarṣabhaand in the twelfth year there was born, O bull among men,
अश्मकः नाम राजर्षिः पोतनं यः न्यवेशयत्aśmakaḥ nāma rājarṣiḥ potanaṃ yaḥ nyaveśayatthe royal sage named Ashmaka, who founded the city of Potana;
साथsāthaoriginal form "sātha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देव्य्devyoriginal form "devy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽथ'thaoriginal form "'tha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अश्मकोaśmakooriginal form "aśmako", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
योyooriginal form "yo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"When she did not deliver the child she had carried for a long time, that queen cut open her own womb with a stone; and in the twelfth year there was born, O bull among men, the royal sage named Ashmaka, who founded the city of Potana."
Version
4f8e462c4818 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:29:43 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the wondrous birth reveals both the fruit and the name. It is telling that the child, carried for twelve years, comes forth only when the womb is cut open with a stone — hence his name "Ashmaka" ("stone-born"): an extraordinary birth gives an extraordinary name. It is telling, too, that children born of saints often come into the world wondrously, marked by a sign of their origin. Thus the text reveals the completion of the story of Kalmashapada: from a line all but cut off is born a righteous royal sage, founder of a city; and the seed granted by Vasishtha continues the line of Ikshvaku.