01.100
Core:Birth of Dhritarastra, Pandu and Vidura.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
ततः सत्यवती काले वधूं स्नातामृतौ तदा । संवेशयन्ती शयने शनकैर्वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥१-१००- १॥
Then Satyavatī, at the proper time, after the bride had bathed during her season, gently laid her on the bed and spoke these words.
कौसल्ये देवरस्तेऽस्ति सोऽद्य त्वानुप्रवेक्ष्यति । अप्रमत्ता प्रतीक्षैनं निशीथे आगमिष्यति ॥१-१००- २॥
O Kausalyā, your brother-in-law is coming today and will approach you. Be attentive and wait for him; he will come at midnight.
श्वश्र्वास्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा शयाना शयने शुभे । साचिन्तयत्तदा भीष्ममन्यांश्च कुरुपुङ्गवान् ॥१-१००- ३॥
Lying on the auspicious bed, the daughter-in-law heard her mother-in-law's words and then thought of Bhīṣma and the other leading Kurus.
ततोऽम्बिकायां प्रथमं नियुक्तः सत्यवागृषिः । दीप्यमानेषु दीपेषु शयनं प्रविवेश ह ॥१-१००- ४॥
Then the truthful sage, first appointed to Ambikā, entered the bedchamber while the lamps were brightly burning.
तस्य कृष्णस्य कपिला जटा दीप्ते च लोचने । बभ्रूणि चैव श्मश्रूणि दृष्ट्वा देवी न्यमीलयत् ॥१-१००- ५॥
Seeing his dark complexion, tawny matted hair, blazing eyes, and brown beard, the lady closed her eyes.
सम्बभूव तया रात्रौ मातुः प्रियचिकीर्षया । भयात् काशिसुता तं तु नाशक्नोदभिवीक्षितुम् ॥१-१००- ६॥
Out of desire to please her mother, union occurred that night; but out of fear, the daughter of Kāśī could not bring herself to look at him.
ततो निष्क्रान्तमासाद्य माता पुत्रमथाब्रवीत् । अप्यस्यां गुणवान्पुत्र राजपुत्रो भविष्यति ॥१-१००- ७॥
Then, as he came out, the mother approached her son and said, “Will a virtuous royal son be born of her?”
निशम्य तद्वचो मातुर्व्यासः परमबुद्धिमान् । प्रोवाचातीन्द्रियज्ञानो विधिना सम्प्रचोदितः ॥१-१००- ८॥
Hearing his mother's words, the supremely wise Vyāsa, possessed of super-sensory knowledge and impelled by destiny, replied.
नागायुतसमप्राणो विद्वान्राजर्षिसत्तमः । महाभागो महावीर्यो महाबुद्धिर्भविष्यति ॥१-१००- ९॥
He will have the vitality of ten thousand elephants, be scholarly, the foremost of royal sages, greatly fortunate, of immense prowess and intellect.
तस्य चापि शतं पुत्रा भविष्यन्ति महाबलाः । किं तु मातुः स वैगुण्यादन्ध एव भविष्यति ॥१-१००- १०॥
He will have a hundred sons of great strength; but due to a defect from the mother’s side, he will be born blind.
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा माता पुत्रमथाब्रवीत् । नान्धः कुरूणां नृपतिरनुरूपस्तपोधन ॥१-१००- ११॥
Hearing those words, the mother then said to her son, “A blind man is not suitable to be king of the Kurus, O ascetic sage.”
ज्ञातिवंशस्य गोप्तारं पितृणां वंशवर्धनम् । द्वितीयं कुरुवंशस्य राजानं दातुमर्हसि ॥१-१००- १२॥
You should grant another son — a second king for the Kuru line — who will protect the family and continue the ancestral lineage.
स तथेति प्रतिज्ञाय निश्चक्राम महातपाः । सापि कालेन कौसल्या सुषुवेऽन्धं तमात्मजम् ॥१-१००- १३॥
The great ascetic, having agreed, departed. In due time, Kausalyā gave birth to that blind son.
पुनरेव तु सा देवी परिभाष्य स्नुषां ततः । ऋषिमावाहयत्सत्या यथापूर्वमनिन्दिता ॥१-१००- १४॥
Then again, that blameless queen addressed her daughter-in-law and summoned the sage, as she had done before.
ततस्तेनैव विधिना महर्षिस्तामपद्यत । अम्बालिकामथाभ्यागादृषिं दृष्ट्वा च सापि तम् ॥ विषण्णा पाण्डुसङ्काशा समपद्यत भारत ॥१-१००- १५॥
Then, in the same manner, the great sage approached Ambālikā. But upon seeing him, she too became sorrowful and pale-faced, O Bhārata.
तां भीतां पाण्डुसङ्काशां विषण्णां प्रेक्ष्य पार्थिव । व्यासः सत्यवतीपुत्र इदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥१-१००- १६॥
Seeing her pale, frightened, and downcast, Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī, said these words, O King.
यस्मात्पाण्डुत्वमापन्ना विरूपं प्रेक्ष्य मामपि । तस्मादेष सुतस्तुभ्यं पाण्डुरेव भविष्यति ॥१-१००- १७॥
Because she became pale upon seeing my unappealing form, this son of hers shall be born pale — he will be called Pāṇḍu.
नाम चास्य तदेवेह भविष्यति शुभानने । इत्युक्त्वा स निराक्रामद्भगवानृषिसत्तमः ॥१-१००- १८॥
His name here shall also be Pāṇḍu, O beautiful one. Thus saying, the venerable sage departed.
ततो निष्क्रान्तमालोक्य सत्या पुत्रमभाषत । शशंस स पुनर्मात्रे तस्य बालस्य पाण्डुताम् ॥१-१००- १९॥
Then, seeing him depart, Satyavatī spoke to her son, who again informed his mother about the paleness of the child.
तं माता पुनरेवान्यमेकं पुत्रमयाचत । तथेति च महर्षिस्तां मातरं प्रत्यभाषत ॥१-१००- २०॥
The mother once again requested him for another son. The great sage replied to her, “So be it, O mother.”
ततः कुमारं सा देवी प्राप्तकालमजीजनत् । पाण्डुं लक्षणसम्पन्नं दीप्यमानमिव श्रिया ॥ तस्य पुत्रा महेष्वासा जज्ञिरे पञ्च पाण्डवाः ॥१-१००- २१॥
Then that queen gave birth at the proper time to a son—Pāṇḍu—endowed with auspicious marks and radiant like splendor. From him were born five Pāṇḍavas, mighty archers.
ऋतुकाले ततो ज्येष्ठां वधूं तस्मै न्ययोजयत् । सा तु रूपं च गन्धं च महर्षेः प्रविचिन्त्य तम् ॥ नाकरोद्वचनं देव्या भयात्सुरसुतोपमा ॥१-१००- २२॥
Then, in due season, the elder bride was offered to him. But contemplating the sage’s appearance and scent, she, though like a celestial maiden, out of fear, did not obey the queen’s command.
ततः स्वैर्भूषणैर्दासीं भूषयित्वाप्सरोपमाम् । प्रेषयामास कृष्णाय ततः काशिपतेः सुता ॥१-१००- २३॥
Then the daughter of the king of Kāśī adorned her maidservant with her own ornaments, making her appear like a celestial nymph, and sent her to the dark-complexioned sage.
दासी ऋषिमनुप्राप्तं प्रत्युद्गम्याभिवाद्य च । संविवेशाभ्यनुज्ञाता सत्कृत्योपचचार ह ॥१-१००- २४॥
The maidservant came forth to receive the sage, greeted him, entered with his permission, honored him, and served him attentively.
कामोपभोगेन तु स तस्यां तुष्टिमगादृषिः । तया सहोषितो रात्रिं महर्षिः प्रीयमाणया ॥१-१००- २५॥
The sage attained satisfaction with her through sensual union; the great sage spent the night with her, who was affectionate toward him.
उत्तिष्ठन्नब्रवीदेनामभुजिष्या भविष्यसि । अयं च ते शुभे गर्भः श्रीमानुदरमागतः ॥ धर्मात्मा भविता लोके सर्वबुद्धिमतां वरः ॥१-१००- २६॥
Rising, he said to her, “You shall become a queen. This glorious child has entered your womb, O lovely one. He will be righteous and the wisest of all in the world.”
स जज्ञे विदुरो नाम कृष्णद्वैपायनात्मजः । धृतराष्ट्रस्य च भ्राता पाण्डोश्चामितबुद्धिमान् ॥१-१००- २७॥
He was born as Vidura, son of Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, brother to both Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu, and of immense intelligence.
धर्मो विदुररूपेण शापात्तस्य महात्मनः । माण्डव्यस्यार्थतत्त्वज्ञः कामक्रोधविवर्जितः ॥१-१००- २८॥
Dharma himself, due to a curse from the great-souled Māṇḍavya, took birth as Vidura—one who knew the essence of truth and was free from desire and anger.
स धर्मस्यानृणो भूत्वा पुनर्मात्रा समेत्य च । तस्यै गर्भं समावेद्य तत्रैवान्तरधीयत ॥१-१००- २९॥
Having fulfilled his duty as Dharma, he again approached the mother, deposited the fetus, and vanished from there.
एवं विचित्रवीर्यस्य क्षेत्रे द्वैपायनादपि । जज्ञिरे देवगर्भाभाः कुरुवंशविवर्धनाः ॥१-१००- ३०॥
Thus, in the field of Vicitravīrya and through Dvaipāyana, were born sons radiant like those born of the gods, who expanded the Kuru lineage.
