काक्षीवदादीन् पुत्रांस् तान् दृष्ट्वा सर्वान् अधीयतः ॥
उवाच तम् ऋषिं राजा ममैत इति वीर्यवान् ॥
नेत्य् उवाच महर्षिस् तं ममैवैत इति ब्रुवन् ॥
शूद्रयोनौ मया हीमे जाताः काक्षीवदादयः ॥
अन्धं वृद्धं च मां मत्वा सुदेष्णा महिषी तव ॥
अवमन्य ददौ मूढा शूद्रां धात्रेयिकां हि मे ॥
ततः प्रसादयाम् आस पुनस् तम् ऋषिसत्तमम् ॥
बलिः सुदेष्णां भार्यां च तस्मै तां प्राहिणोत् पुनः ॥
तां स दीर्घतमाङ्गेषु स्पृष्ट्वा देवीम् अथाब्रवीत् ॥
भविष्यति कुमारस् ते तेजस्वी सत्यवाग् इति ॥
तत्राङ्गो नाम राजर्षिः सुदेष्णायाम् अजायत ॥
एवम् अन्ये महेष्वासा ब्राह्मणैः क्षत्रिया भुवि ॥
जाताः परमधर्मज्ञा वीर्यवन्तो महाबलाः ॥
एतच् छ्रुत्वा त्वम् अप्य् अत्र मातः कुरु यथेप्सितम् ॥
kākṣīvadādīn putrāṃs tān dṛṣṭvā sarvān adhīyataḥ ||
uvāca tam ṛṣiṃ rājā mamaita iti vīryavān ||
nety uvāca maharṣis taṃ mamaivaita iti bruvan ||
śūdrayonau mayā hīme jātāḥ kākṣīvadādayaḥ ||
andhaṃ vṛddhaṃ ca māṃ matvā sudeṣṇā mahiṣī tava ||
avamanya dadau mūḍhā śūdrāṃ dhātreyikāṃ hi me ||
tataḥ prasādayām āsa punas tam ṛṣisattamam ||
baliḥ sudeṣṇāṃ bhāryāṃ ca tasmai tāṃ prāhiṇot punaḥ ||
tāṃ sa dīrghatamāṅgeṣu spṛṣṭvā devīm athābravīt ||
bhaviṣyati kumāras te tejasvī satyavāg iti ||
tatrāṅgo nāma rājarṣiḥ sudeṣṇāyām ajāyata ||
evam anye maheṣvāsā brāhmaṇaiḥ kṣatriyā bhuvi ||
jātāḥ paramadharmajñā vīryavanto mahābalāḥ ||
etac chrutvā tvam apy atra mātaḥ kuru yathepsitam ||
Having seen those sons -- Kakshivat and the rest -- all of them students of the Vedas, the mighty king said to that sage: 'They are mine.' 'No,' said the great sage, telling him: 'They are mine; for by me they, Kakshivat and the rest, were born in a shudra womb. Deeming me blind and old, your queen Sudeshna, foolishly disdaining me, gave me a shudra nurse-maid.' Then Bali again propitiated that best of sages and sent his wife Sudeshna to him once more. Touching her limbs, Dirghatamas then said to the queen: 'You will have a son, radiant and truthful in speech.' Thus the royal sage named Anga was born to Sudeshna; and thus other great archer-kshatriyas too were born from brahmins on earth -- born as supreme knowers of dharma, valorous, mighty. Having heard this, you too, O mother, act here as you wish.
ed6521aac6df · प्रकाशित 12 जुल॰ 2026, 4:16:47 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Here the tale concludes with the birth of Anga and Bhishma's summation. It is significant that the sage did not disown as strangers the sons born to him by the maidservant: 'they are mine' -- for the niyoga had been deceived, since the queen had not come herself. Here we see that the fruit of a dharmic rite belongs to the one for whose sake it is truly performed; deceit, in turn, deprives the deceiver of the desired result. Only when Sudeshna comes in sincerity is Anga born -- a worthy heir; thus honesty in fulfilling one's duty bears true fruit, while a ruse does not. It is also significant that the blessing is given through the sage's touch: the grace of a saint, offered with pure intent, brings forth a radiant and truthful son. Here lies the power of a sadhu's blessing: contact with the holy sanctifies and confers good. And Bhishma's conclusion is telling: having cited the precedents, he leaves the decision to Satyavati -- 'act as you wish.' Here we see both his humility and his subtlety: he has pointed to the lawful path (niyoga through one invited), yet, faithful to his vow, does not take part in it himself; the choice of means he leaves to the elder of the line, in consultation with dharma. Thus the scripture, having set forth its precedents, moves toward the choice of Vyasa to continue the line -- and so prepares the way for the birth of Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and Vidura.