01.107
Pancharatra:Hundred sons of Dhritarastra.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
ततः पुत्रशतं जज्ञे गान्धार्यां जनमेजय । धृतराष्ट्रस्य वैश्यायामेकश्चापि शतात्परः ॥१-१०७-१॥
Then, O Janamejaya, a hundred sons were born to Gāndhārī, and one more, beyond the hundred, was born to Dhṛtarāṣṭra from a vaiśya woman.
पाण्डोः कुन्त्यां च माद्र्यां च पञ्च पुत्रा महारथाः । देवेभ्यः समपद्यन्त सन्तानाय कुलस्य वै ॥१-१०७-२॥
From Kuntī and Mādrī, five great warrior sons of Pāṇḍu were born from the gods for the continuation of the lineage.
जनमेजय उवाच॥
Janamejaya said:
कथं पुत्रशतं जज्ञे गान्धार्यां द्विजसत्तम । कियता चैव कालेन तेषामायुश्च किं परम् ॥१-१०७-३॥
O best of Brāhmaṇas, how were a hundred sons born from Gāndhārī, and within what time? What was the extent of their lives?
कथं चैकः स वैश्यायां धृतराष्ट्रसुतोऽभवत् । कथं च सदृशीं भार्यां गान्धारीं धर्मचारिणीम् ॥ आनुकूल्ये वर्तमानां धृतराष्ट्रोऽत्यवर्तत ॥१-१०७-४॥
How was one son born to Dhṛtarāṣṭra in a vaiśya woman? And how did Dhṛtarāṣṭra neglect his virtuous and suitable wife Gāndhārī, though she was living in harmony?
कथं च शप्तस्य सतः पाण्डोस्तेन महात्मना । समुत्पन्ना दैवतेभ्यः पञ्च पुत्रा महारथाः ॥१-१०७-५॥
How were five great warrior sons born from the gods to Pāṇḍu, though he had been cursed by that great soul?
एतद्विद्वन्यथावृत्तं विस्तरेण तपोधन । कथयस्व न मे तृप्तिः कथ्यमानेषु बन्धुषु ॥१-१०७-६॥
O ascetic, please tell me in detail how this happened. I am not satisfied when hearing about the kinsmen.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
क्षुच्छ्रमाभिपरिग्लानं द्वैपायनमुपस्थितम् । तोषयामास गान्धारी व्यासस्तस्यै वरं ददौ ॥१-१०७-७॥
Gāndhārī pleased Vyāsa, who had come exhausted from hunger and fatigue; he gave her a boon.
सा वव्रे सदृशं भर्तुः पुत्राणां शतमात्मनः । ततः कालेन सा गर्भं धृतराष्ट्रादथाग्रहीत् ॥१-१०७-८॥
She chose to have a hundred sons of her own, equal to her husband. Then in due time, she conceived from Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
संवत्सरद्वयं तं तु गान्धारी गर्भमाहितम् । अप्रजा धारयामास ततस्तां दुःखमाविशत् ॥१-१०७-९॥
Gāndhārī bore that pregnancy for two years without giving birth, and then sorrow entered her.
श्रुत्वा कुन्तीसुतं जातं बालार्कसमतेजसम् । उदरस्यात्मनः स्थैर्यमुपलभ्यान्वचिन्तयत् ॥१-१०७-१०॥
Having heard that Kuntī's son was born with brilliance like the rising sun, she reflected, realizing the firmness of her own womb.
अज्ञातं धृतराष्ट्रस्य यत्नेन महता ततः । सोदरं पातयामास गान्धारी दुःखमूर्च्छिता ॥१-१०७-११॥
Unknown to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and with great effort, Gāndhārī, overcome by sorrow, aborted the fetus.
ततो जज्ञे मांसपेशी लोहाष्ठीलेव संहता । द्विवर्षसम्भृतां कुक्षौ तामुत्स्रष्टुं प्रचक्रमे ॥१-१०७-१२॥
Then was born a compact lump of flesh, like an iron ball, formed in the womb for two years, which she began to cast away.
अथ द्वैपायनो ज्ञात्वा त्वरितः समुपागमत् । तां स मांसमयीं पेशीं ददर्श जपतां वरः ॥१-१०७-१३॥
Then Vyāsa, having known, quickly approached and saw that lump of flesh — the best among those who chant.
ततोऽब्रवीत्सौबलेयीं किमिदं ते चिकीर्षितम् । सा चात्मनो मतं सत्यं शशंस परमर्षये ॥१-१०७-१४॥
Then he said to the daughter of Subala, “What is this you intended?” And she truthfully told her intent to the great sage.
ज्येष्ठं कुन्तीसुतं जातं श्रुत्वा रविसमप्रभम् । दुःखेन परमेणेदमुदरं पातितं मया ॥१-१०७-१५॥
Having heard that the eldest son of Kuntī was born with the brilliance of the sun, I cast down this womb in great sorrow.
शतं च किल पुत्राणां वितीर्णं मे त्वया पुरा । इयं च मे मांसपेशी जाता पुत्रशताय वै ॥१-१०७-१६॥
You had once granted me a hundred sons, and this lump of flesh has appeared for that very purpose.
व्यास उवाच॥
Vyāsa said:
एवमेतत्सौबलेयि नैतज्जात्वन्यथा भवेत् । वितथं नोक्तपूर्वं मे स्वैरेष्वपि कुतोऽन्यथा ॥१-१०७-१७॥
Thus it is, O daughter of Subala; this will never be otherwise. What I have spoken before is never untrue, even in trifles — how then otherwise?
घृतपूर्णं कुण्डशतं क्षिप्रमेव विधीयताम् । शीताभिरद्भिरष्ठीलामिमां च परिषिञ्चत ॥१-१०७-१८॥
Let a hundred jars filled with ghee be quickly prepared, and sprinkle this lump with cold water.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
सा सिच्यमाना अष्ठीला अभवच्छतधा तदा । अङ्गुष्ठपर्वमात्राणां गर्भाणां पृथगेव तु ॥१-१०७-१९॥
Then the lump, being sprinkled, divided into a hundred parts, each an embryo of thumb-joint size, and distinct.
एकाधिकशतं पूर्णं यथायोगं विशां पते । मांसपेश्यास्तदा राजन्क्रमशः कालपर्ययात् ॥१-१०७-२०॥
O king, from the lump of flesh there emerged, with time and in due order, a full hundred and one embryos.
ततस्तांस्तेषु कुण्डेषु गर्भानवदधे तदा । स्वनुगुप्तेषु देशेषु रक्षां च व्यदधात्ततः ॥१-१०७-२१॥
Then he placed those embryos in the jars and stationed them in well-guarded places, and established protection thereafter.
शशास चैव भगवान्कालेनैतावता पुनः । विघट्टनीयान्येतानि कुण्डानीति स्म सौबलीम् ॥१-१०७-२२॥
And after some time, the venerable sage instructed the daughter of Subala that these jars should now be opened.
इत्युक्त्वा भगवान्व्यासस्तथा प्रतिविधाय च । जगाम तपसे धीमान्हिमवन्तं शिलोच्चयम् ॥१-१०७-२३॥
Having said thus and made arrangements, the wise Vyāsa went for penance to the mountain peaks of the Himalaya.
जज्ञे क्रमेण चैतेन तेषां दुर्योधनो नृपः । जन्मतस्तु प्रमाणेन ज्येष्ठो राजा युधिष्ठिरः ॥१-१०७-२४॥
In due order, Duryodhana was born among them as a prince, but by birth measure, Yudhiṣṭhira was the elder king.
जातमात्रे सुते तस्मिन्धृतराष्ट्रोऽब्रवीदिदम् । समानीय बहून्विप्रान्भीष्मं विदुरमेव च ॥१-१०७-२५॥
When that son was just born, Dhṛtarāṣṭra spoke this, having gathered many Brāhmaṇas, Bhīṣma, and Vidura as well.
युधिष्ठिरो राजपुत्रो ज्येष्ठो नः कुलवर्धनः । प्राप्तः स्वगुणतो राज्यं न तस्मिन्वाच्यमस्ति नः ॥१-१०७-२६॥
Yudhiṣṭhira, the royal son and eldest, has by his own virtue attained the kingdom; there is nothing to be said against him by us.
अयं त्वनन्तरस्तस्मादपि राजा भविष्यति । एतद्धि ब्रूत मे सत्यं यदत्र भविता ध्रुवम् ॥१-१०७-२७॥
This one, however, will become king next after him. Tell me the truth of what will certainly happen here.
वाक्यस्यैतस्य निधने दिक्षु सर्वासु भारत । क्रव्यादाः प्राणदन्घोराः शिवाश्चाशिवशंसिनः ॥१-१०७-२८॥
O Bhārata, at the end of this speech, from all directions came terrible flesh-eaters breathing hard, some auspicious, and others proclaiming doom.
लक्षयित्वा निमित्तानि तानि घोराणि सर्वशः । तेऽब्रुवन्ब्राह्मणा राजन्विदुरश्च महामतिः ॥१-१०७-२९॥
Having observed all those terrible omens, the Brāhmaṇas and the wise Vidura said this, O king.
व्यक्तं कुलान्तकरणो भवितैष सुतस्तव । तस्य शान्तिः परित्यागे पुष्ट्या त्वपनयो महान् ॥१-१०७-३०॥
This son of yours will clearly bring about the end of the lineage. Your peace lies in his removal and renunciation, but if fostered it will bring great trouble.
शतमेकोनमप्यस्तु पुत्राणां ते महीपते । एकेन कुरु वै क्षेमं लोकस्य च कुलस्य च ॥१-१०७-३१॥
Let there be ninety-nine sons, O king. With one, bring welfare to the world and the family.
त्यजेदेकं कुलस्यार्थे ग्रामस्यार्थे कुलं त्यजेत् । ग्रामं जनपदस्यार्थे आत्मार्थे पृथिवीं त्यजेत् ॥१-१०७-३२॥
One should abandon an individual for the family's sake, a family for the village, a village for the kingdom, and the earth for the sake of the one-self.
स तथा विदुरेणोक्तस्तैश्च सर्वैर्द्विजोत्तमैः । न चकार तथा राजा पुत्रस्नेहसमन्वितः ॥१-१०७-३३॥
Though so instructed by Vidura and all the foremost Brāhmaṇas, the king did not act accordingly, being bound by affection for his son.
ततः पुत्रशतं सर्वं धृतराष्ट्रस्य पार्थिव । मासमात्रेण सञ्जज्ञे कन्या चैका शताधिका ॥१-१०७-३४॥
Then, O king, all hundred sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra were born within a month, and one daughter beyond the hundred.
गान्धार्यां क्लिश्यमानायामुदरेण विवर्धता । धृतराष्ट्रं महाबाहुं वैश्या पर्यचरत्किल ॥१-१०७-३५॥
While Gāndhārī was suffering from her growing womb, the mighty-armed Dhṛtarāṣṭra was served by a vaiśya woman.
तस्मिन्संवत्सरे राजन्धृतराष्ट्रान्महायशाः । जज्ञे धीमांस्ततस्तस्यां युयुत्सुः करणो नृप ॥१-१०७-३६॥
In that same year, O king, from Dhṛtarāṣṭra was born the renowned and wise Yuyutsu from that woman.
एवं पुत्रशतं जज्ञे धृतराष्ट्रस्य धीमतः । महारथानां वीराणां कन्या चैकाथ दुःशला ॥१-१०७-३७॥
Thus a hundred sons, great warrior heroes, were born to the wise Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and one daughter named Duḥśalā.
