वैशंपायन उवाच
गत्वा तु तां भार्गवकर्मशालां; पार्थौ पृथां प्राप्य महानुभावौ ॥
तां याज्ञसेनीं परमप्रतीतौ; भिक्षेत्य् अथावेदयतां नराग्र्यौ ॥
कुटीगता सा त्व् अनवेक्ष्य पुत्रान्; उवाच भुङ्क्तेति समेत्य सर्वे ॥
पश्चात् तु कुन्ती प्रसमीक्ष्य कन्यां; कष्टं मया भाषितम् इत्य् उवाच ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
gatvā tu tāṃ bhārgavakarmaśālāṃ; pārthau pṛthāṃ prāpya mahānubhāvau ||
tāṃ yājñasenīṃ paramapratītau; bhikṣety athāvedayatāṃ narāgryau ||
kuṭīgatā sā tv anavekṣya putrān; uvāca bhuṅkteti sametya sarve ||
paścāt tu kuntī prasamīkṣya kanyāṃ; kaṣṭaṃ mayā bhāṣitam ity uvāca ||
Vaishampayana said: "Having come to the potter's workshop, the two mighty Parthas, having reached Prithā, greatly delighted, brought Yajnaseni and announced to their mother: 'Alms!' She, in the hut, without looking at her sons, said: 'Enjoy this together, all of you.' Afterward Kunti, having looked closely at the maiden, said: 'A grievous thing have I said!'"
993fed75a0c2 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:44:41 PM UTC
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Here a mother's habitual word becomes fraught with something great. It is significant that Kunti, dividing the alms among her sons as always, bids them without looking to "enjoy it together" — and unwittingly utters what will bind their destinies. Here a word spoken in simplicity becomes an instrument of providence: behind the ordinary "alms" stands the bride ordained for them, and the mother's word will direct everything. Thus the text shows how fraught an unthinking word can be; and Kunti's slip will serve to fulfill what was foreordained.