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Core:Pandu quotes scriptures and asks Kanti to get progeny from someone superior to him.
vaiśampāyana uvāca ॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
tatrāpi tapasi śreṣṭhe vartamānaḥ sa vīryavān. siddhacāraṇasaṅghānāṁ babhūva priyadarśanaḥ ॥1॥
Abiding in supreme penance there, he, powerful, became pleasing to behold to the groups of Siddhas and Cāraṇas.
śuśrūṣur-anahaṁvādī saṁyatātmā jitendriyaḥ. svargaṁ gantuṁ parākrāntaḥ svena vīryeṇa bhārata ॥2॥
He, eager to serve, modest in speech, self-controlled and sense-conquered, endeavored to attain heaven by his own strength, O Bhārata.
keṣāñcidabhavadbhrātā keṣāñcidabhavatsakhā. ṛṣayastvapare cainaṁ putravatparyapālayan ॥3॥
He was like a brother to some, a friend to others, and some sages protected him like a son.
sa tu kālena mahatā prāpya niṣkalmaṣaṁ tapaḥ. brahmarṣisadṛśaḥ pāṇḍurbabhūva bharatarṣabha ॥4॥
He, having attained sinless penance over a long time, became like a Brahmarṣi — Pāṇḍu, O best of the Bhāratas.
svargapāraṁ titīrṣan sa śataśṛṅgādudaṅmukhaḥ. pratasthe saha patnībhyām abruvaṁstatra tāpasāḥ. uparyupari gacchantaḥ śailarājamudaṅmukhāḥ ॥5॥
Desiring to reach the far side of heaven, he set out facing north from Mount Śataśṛṅga with his two wives. The ascetics there said: "Ascending higher and higher, face the king of mountains to the north."
dṛṣṭavanto girerasya durgāṁdeśānbahūnvayam. ākrīḍabhūtāndevānāṁ gandharvāpsarasāṁ tathā ॥6॥
We have seen many inaccessible regions of this mountain, which are the playgrounds of gods, Gandharvas, and Apsarases.
udyānāni kuberasya samāni viṣamāṇi ca. mahānadīnitambāṁśca durgāṁśca girigahvarān ॥7॥
There are level and uneven gardens of Kubera, flanks of great rivers, fortresses, and mountain caves.
santi nityahimā deśā nirvṛkṣamṛgapakṣiṇaḥ. santi kecinmahāvarṣā durgāḥ keciddurāsadāḥ ॥8॥
There are perpetually snowy regions without trees, animals, or birds; some are rainy and others are difficult fortresses.
atikrāmenna pakṣī yānkuta evetare mṛgāḥ. vāyureko'tigādyatra siddhāśca paramarṣayaḥ ॥9॥
No bird could cross those regions — how then could other animals? Only the wind passes through, along with perfected beings and supreme sages.
gacchantyau śailarāje'sminrājaputryau kathaṁ tvime. na sīdetāmaduḥkhārhe mā gamo bharatarṣabha ॥10॥
The two princesses are going in this king of mountains; how may they, undeserving of sorrow, not suffer? Do not proceed, O best of the Bhāratas.
pāṇḍuruvāca ॥
Pāṇḍu said.
aprajasya mahābhāgā na dvāraṁ paricakṣate. svarge tenābhitapto'hamaprajastadbravīmi vaḥ ॥11॥
O highly fortunate ones, they do not indicate the path to heaven for the childless. Therefore, afflicted by this, being childless, I say this to you.
ṛṇaiścaturbhiḥ saṁyuktā jāyante manujā bhuvi. pitṛdevarṣimanujadeyaiḥ śatasahasraśaḥ ॥12॥
Humans are born on earth burdened with fourfold debts — to ancestors, gods, sages, and men — in hundreds of thousands.
etāni tu yathākālaṁ yo na budhyati mānavaḥ. na tasya lokāḥ santīti dharmavidbhiḥ pratiṣṭhitam ॥13॥
But he who does not understand these in due time, his worlds do not exist — so it is established by the knowers of dharma.
yajñaiśca devānprīṇāti svādhyāyatapasā munīn. putraiḥ śrāddhaiḥ pitṛṁścāpi ānṛśaṁsyena mānavān ॥14॥
One pleases the gods with sacrifices, the sages with study and austerity, the ancestors with sons and oblations, and humans with kindness.
ṛṣidevamanuṣyāṇāṁ parimukto'smi dharmataḥ. pitryādṛṇādanirmuktastena tapye tapodhanāḥ ॥15॥
I am freed by dharma from the debts to sages, gods, and men, but not from the ancestral debt; therefore I am tormented, O ascetics rich in austerity.
dehanāśe dhruvo nāśaḥ pitṛṇāmeṣa niścayaḥ. iha tasmātprajāhetoḥ prajāyante narottamāḥ ॥16॥
Upon the body’s destruction, the destruction of ancestors is certain — this is the firm conclusion. Therefore, the best of men are born for the sake of offspring.
yathaivāhaṁ pituḥ kṣetre sṛṣṭastena mahātmanā. tathaivāsminmama kṣetre kathaṁ vai sambhavetprajā ॥17॥
Just as I was begotten by that great-souled one in my father’s field, so how indeed could offspring arise in this field of mine?
tāpasā ūcuḥ ॥
The ascetics said:
asti vai tava dharmātmanvidma devopamaṁ śubham. apatyamanaghaṁ rājanvayaṁ divyena cakṣuṣā ॥18॥
Indeed, O righteous-souled one, we know by divine vision that there is god-like, auspicious, and sinless offspring for you, O king.
daivadiṣṭaṁ naravyāghra karmaṇe hopapādaya. akliṣṭaṁ phalamavyagro vindate buddhimānnaraḥ ॥19॥
O tiger among men, bring about the divinely ordained action here; the wise man obtains untroubled results without agitation.
tasmin dṛṣṭe phale tāta prayatnaṁ kartumarhasi. apatyaṁ guṇasampannaṁ labdhvā prītim avāpsyasi ॥20॥
When that result is seen, dear one, you should make effort; having obtained virtuous offspring, you will attain joy.
vaiśampāyana uvāca ॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
tacchrutvā tāpasavacaḥ pāṇḍuś cintāparo'bhavat. ātmano mṛgaśāpena jānannupahatāṁ kriyām ॥21॥
Having heard the ascetic’s words, Pāṇḍu became full of anxiety, knowing that his own function was obstructed by the curse of a deer.
so'bravīd vijane kuntīṁ dharmapatnīṁ yaśasvinīm. apatyotpādane yogam āpadi prasamarthayan ॥22॥
He spoke in private to his righteous and illustrious wife Kuntī, urging her to take recourse for producing offspring in this difficulty.
apatyaṁ nāma lokeṣu pratiṣṭhā dharmasaṁhitā. iti kunti vidur dhīrāḥ śāśvataṁ dharmam āditaḥ ॥23॥
Offspring, O Kuntī, is known among people as the foundation tied to dharma; the wise know this as eternal dharma from the beginning.
iṣṭaṁ dattaṁ tapastaptaṁ niyamaś ca svanuṣṭhitaḥ. sarvam evānapatyasya na pāvanam ihochyate ॥24॥
All sacrifices, gifts, penance, and observances properly performed are said to be not purifying here for the childless.
so'ham evaṁ viditvaitat prapaśyāmi śucismite. anapatyaḥ śubhāṁl lokān nāvāpsyāmīti cintayan ॥25॥
Thus knowing this, O pure-smiling one, I foresee that being childless, I shall not attain the auspicious worlds — so I think.
mṛgābhiśāpān naṣṭaṁ me prajanaṁ hy akṛtātmanaḥ. nṛśaṁsakāriṇo bhīru yathaivopahataṁ tathā ॥26॥
Indeed, due to the curse of the deer-sage, my progeny is lost — like that of a fearful and undisciplined one who acted cruelly, it stands obstructed.
ime vai bandhudāyādāḥ ṣaṭputrā dharmadarśane. ṣaḍevābandhudāyādāḥ putrās tāñ śṛṇu me pṛthe ॥27॥
These are the six types of sons who are kinsmen-heirs according to the dharma tradition. There are six more who are not such heirs — hear them from me, O Pṛthā.
svayañjātaḥ praṇītaś ca parikrītaś ca yaḥ sutaḥ. paunarbhavaś ca kānīnaḥ svairiṇyāṁ yaś ca jāyate ॥28॥
The son begotten by oneself, appointed, purchased, born of a remarried woman, born of an unmarried girl, and born of a self-willed woman.
dattaḥ krītaḥ kṛtrimaś ca upagacchet svayaṁ ca yaḥ. sahoḍho jātaretāś ca hīnayonidhṛtaś ca yaḥ ॥29॥
Given, bought, artificial, one who comes of his own accord, born of an already married woman, and one held by a lower womb.
pūrvapūrvatamābhāve matvā lipseta vai sutam. uttamādavarāḥ puṁsaḥ kāṅkṣante putram āpadi ॥30॥
In the absence of the earlier and best types, one should desire a son from the next; men desire a son from the best source, even in difficulty.
apatyaṁ dharmaphaladaṁ śreṣṭhaṁ vindanti sādhavaḥ. ātmaśukrād api pṛthe manuḥ svāyambhuvo'bravīt ॥31॥
O Pṛthā, the virtuous obtain supreme offspring, givers of the fruit of dharma, even from one's own seed — so said Manu, son of Svayambhū.
tasmāt praheṣyāmy adya tvāṁ hīnaḥ prajananāt svayam. sadṛśāc chreyaso vā tvaṁ viddhy apatyam yaśasvini ॥32॥
Therefore, being myself deprived of generation, today I shall send you; know the offspring, O illustrious one, to be from one equal or superior.
śṛṇu kunti kathāṁ cemāṁ śāradaṇḍāyanīṁ prati. yā vīrapatnī gurubhir niyuktāpatyajanmani ॥33॥
Hear this story, O Kuntī, of the daughter of Śāradaṇḍāyana, who was a hero's wife, appointed by elders for bearing offspring.
puṣpeṇa prayatā snātā niśi kunti catuṣpathe. varayitvā dvijaṁ siddhaṁ hutvā puṁsavane'nalam ॥34॥
Purified and bathed with flowers, at night, at a crossroad, O Kuntī, she chose an accomplished twice-born and, having offered into the fire in the puṁsavana rite—
karmaṇy avasite tasmin sā tenaiva sahāvasat. tatra trīn janayām āsa durjayādīn mahārathān ॥35॥
When the ritual was completed, she lived with him there and gave birth to three great warriors, beginning with Durjaya.
tathā tvam api kalyāṇi brāhmaṇāt tapasādhikāt. manniyogād yatakṣipram apatyotpādanaṁ prati ॥36॥
Likewise, O auspicious one, from a Brāhmaṇa superior in austerity, by my instruction, endeavor quickly for the generation of offspring.
