01.100
Core:Birth of Dhritarastra, Pandu and Vidura.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
tataḥ satyavatī kāle vadhūṁ snātām ṛtau tadā. saṁveśayantī śayane śanakair vākyam abravīt ॥1॥
Then Satyavatī, at the proper time, after the bride had bathed during her season, gently laid her on the bed and spoke these words.
kausalye devaras te'sti so'dya tvānupravekṣyati. apramattā pratīkṣainam niśīthe āgamiṣyati ॥2॥
O Kausalyā, your brother-in-law is coming today and will approach you. Be attentive and wait for him; he will come at midnight.
śvaśrvās tad vacanaṁ śrutvā śayānā śayane śubhe. sā acintayat tadā bhīṣmam anyāṁś ca kuru-puṅgavān ॥3॥
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.
tato'mbikāyāṁ prathamaṁ niyuktaḥ satya-vāg ṛṣiḥ. dīpyamāneṣu dīpeṣu śayanaṁ praviveśa ha ॥4॥
Then the truthful sage, first appointed to Ambikā, entered the bedchamber while the lamps were brightly burning.
tasya kṛṣṇasya kapilā jaṭā dīpte ca locane. babhrūṇi caiva śmaśrūṇi dṛṣṭvā devī nyamīlayat ॥5॥
Seeing his dark complexion, tawny matted hair, blazing eyes, and brown beard, the lady closed her eyes.
sambabhūva tayā rātrau mātuḥ priya-cikīrṣayā. bhayāt kāśi-sutā taṁ tu nāśaknoda-bhivīkṣitum ॥6॥
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.
tato niṣkrāntam āsādya mātā putram athābravīt. apy asyāṁ guṇavān putra rāja-putro bhaviṣyati ॥7॥
Then, as he came out, the mother approached her son and said, “Will a virtuous royal son be born of her?”
niśamya tad vaco mātur vyāsaḥ parama-buddhimān. provācātīndriya-jñāno vidhinā sampracoditaḥ ॥8॥
Hearing his mother's words, the supremely wise Vyāsa, possessed of super-sensory knowledge and impelled by destiny, replied.
nāgāyuta-sama-prāṇo vidvān rājarṣi-sattamaḥ. mahā-bhāgo mahā-vīryo mahā-buddhir bhaviṣyati ॥9॥
He will have the vitality of ten thousand elephants, be scholarly, the foremost of royal sages, greatly fortunate, of immense prowess and intellect.
tasya cāpi śataṁ putrā bhaviṣyanti mahā-balāḥ. kiṁ tu mātuḥ sa vaiguṇyāt andha eva bhaviṣyati ॥10॥
He will have a hundred sons of great strength; but due to a defect from the mother’s side, he will be born blind.
tasya tad vacanaṁ śrutvā mātā putram athābravīt. nāndhaḥ kurūṇāṁ nṛpatir anurūpas tapodhana ॥11॥
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.”
jñāti-vaṁśasya goptāraṁ pitṝṇāṁ vaṁśa-vardhanam. dvitīyaṁ kuru-vaṁśasya rājānaṁ dātum arhasi ॥12॥
You should grant another son — a second king for the Kuru line — who will protect the family and continue the ancestral lineage.
sa tatheti pratijñāya niścakrāma mahātapāḥ. sā api kālena kausalyā suṣuve'ndhaṁ tam ātmajam ॥13॥
The great ascetic, having agreed, departed. In due time, Kausalyā gave birth to that blind son.
punar eva tu sā devī paribhāṣya snuṣāṁ tataḥ. ṛṣim āvāhayat satyā yathā-pūrvam aninditā ॥14॥
Then again, that blameless queen addressed her daughter-in-law and summoned the sage, as she had done before.
tatas tenaiva vidhinā maharṣiḥ tām apadyata. ambālikām athābhyāgād ṛṣiṁ dṛṣṭvā ca sā api tam. viṣaṇṇā pāṇḍu-saṅkāśā samapadyata bhārata ॥15॥
Then, in the same manner, the great sage approached Ambālikā. But upon seeing him, she too became sorrowful and pale-faced, O Bhārata.
tāṁ bhītāṁ pāṇḍu-saṅkāśāṁ viṣaṇṇāṁ prekṣya pārthiva. vyāsaḥ satyavatī-putra idaṁ vacanam abravīt ॥16॥
Seeing her pale, frightened, and downcast, Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī, said these words, O King.
yasmāt pāṇḍutvam āpannā virūpaṁ prekṣya mām api. tasmād eṣa sutas tubhyaṁ pāṇḍur eva bhaviṣyati ॥17॥
Because she became pale upon seeing my unappealing form, this son of hers shall be born pale — he will be called Pāṇḍu.
nāma cāsya tad eva iha bhaviṣyati śubhānane. ity uktvā sa nirākrāmad bhagavān ṛṣi-sattamaḥ ॥18॥
His name here shall also be Pāṇḍu, O beautiful one. Thus saying, the venerable sage departed.
tato niṣkrāntam ālokya satyā putram abhāṣata. śaśaṁsa sa punar mātre tasya bālasya pāṇḍutām ॥19॥
Then, seeing him depart, Satyavatī spoke to her son, who again informed his mother about the paleness of the child.
taṁ mātā punar eva anyam ekaṁ putram ayācata. tatheti ca maharṣiḥ tāṁ mātaraṁ pratyabhāṣata ॥20॥
The mother once again requested him for another son. The great sage replied to her, “So be it, O mother.”
tataḥ kumāraṁ sā devī prāpta-kālam ajījanat. pāṇḍuṁ lakṣaṇa-sampannaṁ dīpyamānam iva śriyā. tasya putrā maheṣvāsā jajñire pañca pāṇḍavāḥ ॥21॥
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.
ṛtu-kāle tato jyeṣṭhāṁ vadhūṁ tasmai nyayojayat. sā tu rūpaṁ ca gandhaṁ ca maharṣeḥ pravicintya tam. nākarod vacanaṁ devyā bhayāt sura-suta-upamā ॥22॥
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.
tataḥ svair bhūṣaṇair dāsīṁ bhūṣayitvā apsaro-upamām. preṣayām āsa kṛṣṇāya tataḥ kāśi-pateḥ sutā ॥23॥
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.
dāsī ṛṣim anuprāptaṁ pratyudgamyābhivādya ca. saṁviveśābhyanujñātā satkṛtyopacacāra ha ॥24॥
The maidservant came forth to receive the sage, greeted him, entered with his permission, honored him, and served him attentively.
kāmopabhogena tu sa tasyāṁ tuṣṭim agād ṛṣiḥ. tayā saha uṣito rātriṁ maharṣiḥ prīyamāṇayā ॥25॥
The sage attained satisfaction with her through sensual union; the great sage spent the night with her, who was affectionate toward him.
uttiṣṭhan abravīd enām abhujiṣyā bhaviṣyasi. ayaṁ ca te śubhe garbhaḥ śrīmān udaram āgataḥ. dharmātmā bhavitā loke sarva-buddhimatāṁ varaḥ ॥26॥
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.”
sa jajñe viduro nāma kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana-ātmajaḥ. dhṛtarāṣṭrasya ca bhrātā pāṇḍoś cāmita-buddhimān ॥27॥
He was born as Vidura, son of Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, brother to both Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu, and of immense intelligence.
dharmo vidura-rūpeṇa śāpāt tasya mahātmanaḥ. māṇḍavyasya artha-tattva-jñaḥ kāma-krodha-vivarjitaḥ ॥28॥
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.
sa dharmasya anṛṇo bhūtvā punar mātrā sametya ca. tasyai garbhaṁ samāvedya tatraiva antaradhīyata ॥29॥
Having fulfilled his duty as Dharma, he again approached the mother, deposited the fetus, and vanished from there.
evaṁ vicitravīryasya kṣetre dvaipāyanāt api. jajñire deva-garbha-ābhāḥ kuru-vaṁśa-vivardhanāḥ ॥30॥
Thus, in the field of Vicitravīrya and through Dvaipāyana, were born sons radiant like those born of the gods, who expanded the Kuru lineage.
