01.104
Core-Pancharatra: Kunti's boon and her Son.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
śūro nāma yaduśreṣṭho vasudevapitabhabhavat। tasya kanyā pṛthā nāma rūpeṇāsadṛśī bhuvi॥1॥
Śūra, the foremost among the Yadus and father of Vasudeva, had a daughter named Pṛthā, unmatched in beauty on earth.
paitṛṣvaseyāya sa tāmanapatyāya vīryavān। agryamagre pratijñāya svasyāpatyasya vīryavān॥2॥
He, the mighty one, gave her to his paternal cousin who was childless, having promised in advance that his own powerful offspring would be given.
agrajāteti tāṁ kanyāmagryānugrahakāṅkṣiṇe। pradadau kuntibhojāya sakhā sakhye mahātmane॥3॥
Thus, desiring to bestow the highest favor on his friend, he gave that first-born maiden to the great-souled Kuntibhoja.
sā niyuktā piturgehe devatātithipūjane। ugraṁ paryacaradghoraṁ brāhmaṇaṁ saṁśitavratam॥4॥
She was appointed in her father's house to worship gods and guests, and served a fierce and terrible Brahmin of firm vows.
nigūḍhaniścayaṁ dharme yaṁ taṁ durvāsasaṁ viduḥ। tamugraṁ saṁśitātmānaṁ sarvayatnairatoṣayat॥5॥
Whom they knew as Durvāsas, of hidden resolve in righteousness, him — the fierce and self-disciplined — she pleased with all efforts.
tasyai sa pradadau mantramāpaddharmānvavekṣayā। abhicārābhisaṁyuktamabravīccaiva tāṁ muniḥ॥6॥
The sage, considering duty in distress, gave her a mantra endowed with magical potency and indeed instructed her.
yaṁ yaṁ devaṁ tvametena mantreṇāvāhayiṣyasi। tasya tasya prasādena putrastava bhaviṣyati॥7॥
Whichever god you invoke with this mantra, by his grace you will obtain a son.
tathoktā sā tu vipreṇa tena kautūhalāttadā। kanyā satī devamarkamājuhāva yaśasvinī॥8॥
Thus instructed by the sage, the illustrious maiden, being chaste, out of curiosity invoked the Sun god.
sā dadarśa tamāyāntaṁ bhāskaraṁ lokabhāvanam। vismitā cānavadyāṅgī dṛṣṭvā tanmahadadbhutam॥9॥
She saw the Sun, the nourisher of the world, approaching, and being flawless in form, was amazed at that great wonder.
prakāśakarmā tapanastasyaṁ garbhaṁ dadhau tataḥ। ajījanattato vīraṁ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṁ varam। āmuktakavacaḥ śrīmānde vagarbhaḥ śriyāvṛtaḥ॥10॥
The radiant Sun deposited a seed in her womb, and she gave birth to a hero — the best among all warriors, naturally clad in armor, glorious, god-begotten, and enveloped in splendor.
sahajaṁ kavacaṁ bibhratkuṇḍaloddyotitānanaḥ। ajāyata sutaḥ karṇaḥ sarvalokeṣu viśrutaḥ॥11॥
Karṇa, wearing natural armor and with a face illuminated by earrings, was born — a son renowned in all the worlds.
prādācca tasyāḥ kanyātvaṁ punaḥ sa paramadyutiḥ। dattvā ca dadatāṁ śreṣṭho divamācakrame tataḥ॥12॥
That supremely radiant being restored her maidenhood and, having done so, the best among givers ascended to heaven.
gūhamānāpacāraṁ taṁ bandhupakṣabhayāttadā। utsasarja jale kuntī taṁ kumāraṁ salakṣaṇam॥13॥
Fearing her relatives and hiding her transgression, Kuntī abandoned that auspiciously marked boy in the water.
tamutsṛṣṭaṁ tadā garbhaṁ rādhābhartā mahāyaśāḥ। putratve kalpayāmāsa sabhāryaḥ sūtanandanaḥ॥14॥
The greatly renowned husband of Rādhā, son of a charioteer, accepted that abandoned infant as his son, along with his wife.
nāmadheyaṁ ca cakrāte tasya bālasya tāvubhau। vasunā saha jāto'yaṁ vasuṣeṇo bhavatviti॥15॥
The two gave that boy the name Vasuṣeṇa, saying, “Born with a Vasu, i.e. wealth, let him be called Vasuṣeṇa.”
sa vardhamāno balavānsarvāstreṣūdyato'bhavat। ā pṛṣṭhatāpādādityamupatasthe sa vīryavān॥16॥
As he grew up, he became strong and skilled in all weapons, and the mighty one approached the Sun due to the burning of his back.
yasmin kāle japannāste sa vīraḥ satyasaṅgaraḥ। nādeyaṁ brāhmaṇeṣvāsīttasmin kāle mahātmanaḥ॥17॥
At that time, the hero, firm in truth, sat reciting, and there was nothing he would refuse to the Brāhmaṇas.
tamindro brāhmaṇo bhūtvā bhikṣārthaṁ bhūtabhāvanaḥ। kuṇḍale prārthayāmāsa kavacaṁ ca mahādyutiḥ॥18॥
Indra, assuming the form of a Brāhmaṇa and desiring alms, the nourisher of beings, of great splendor, requested from him his earrings and armor.
utkṛtya vimanāḥ svāṅgātkavacaṁ rudhirasravam। karṇastu kuṇḍale chittvā prāyacchatsa kṛtāñjaliḥ॥19॥
Sorrowfully cutting off the bleeding armor from his own body and severing his earrings, Karṇa gave them with joined palms.
śaktiṁ tasmai dadau śakraḥ vismito vākyamabravīt। devāsuramanuṣyāṇāṁ gandharvoragarakṣasām। yasmai kṣepsyasi ruṣṭaḥ sanso'nayā na bhaviṣyati॥20॥
Indra, amazed, gave him a missile and said, “Among gods, demons, men, Gandharvas, serpents, and Rākṣasas — whomever you hurl this at in anger, he shall not survive.”
purā nāma tu tasyāsīdvasuṣeṇa iti śrutam। tato vaikartanaḥ karṇaḥ karmaṇā tena so'bhavat॥21॥
Formerly his name was Vasuṣeṇa, as is heard; but by that act, Karṇa became known as Vaikartana — one born of cutting.
