03.292
Vaiśampāyana said.
Then, O lord of the earth, an embryo arose in Pṛthā; in the bright fortnight, after the tenth day, like the lord of the stars in the sky. (03-292-1)
She, the young woman with beautiful hips, out of fear of her relatives, concealed her pregnancy and carried it; and no one among the people noticed her. (03-292-2)
Indeed, no other woman except for the nurse knows her—the young girl who has gone to the maiden's house, skilled in protection. (03-292-3)
Then, in due course, she of excellent complexion gave birth to a child. This was a maiden who, by the grace of that god, possessed the radiance of the immortals. (03-292-4)
He was exactly like his father: wearing fastened armor, adorned with golden shining earrings, having a lion for his vehicle, and the bull as his support. (03-292-5)
The nurse, after due consultation, placed the just-born child, as directed by the noble lady, into the chest lined with soft bedding on all sides. (03-292-6)
She, weeping thus, released (it) in the spot of honey-leavings, on the smooth, well-covered, comfortable place by the river Aśvanadī. (03-292-7)
Though she knew that conception by a maiden is not proper, out of affection for her son, O king, she lamented piteously. (03-292-8)
As she released the box into the water of the Ashvanadi River, Kunti, weeping, spoke these words — hear them now. (03-292-9)
O son, may well-being be to you from the beings of the mid-space, the earthly beings, the heavenly beings, from all beings, and from those who move in water. (03-292-10)
May auspicious paths be yours, and may you have no adversaries; likewise, son, may those who come to you have minds free from malice. (03-292-11)
May Varuṇa the king, lord of the waters, protect you in water; and in the sky, may Pavana, the wind who abides in the atmosphere and is all-pervading, protect you likewise. (03-292-12)
May your father, the Sun, the foremost of those who shine, protect you everywhere; by whom you were indeed given to me, O son, in accordance with a divine ordinance. (03-292-13)
The Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, Sādhyas, all the gods, the Maruts along with Indra, the directions and their lords (the guardians of the quarters). (03-292-14)
May all the gods protect you in both favorable and unfavorable situations, and I will recognize you even in a foreign land through the sign given by the armor. (03-292-15)
Blessed is your father, O son; the god Bhānu, Vibhāvasu. Whoever beholds you in the army with divine sight is indeed fortunate. (03-292-16)
Fortunate is that woman who will accept you as her son. O divine-born, whose breast you will drink as a thirsty child.
Who indeed is the dream that she saw, in which you appeared brilliant like the sun, endowed with divine armor and adorned with divine earrings? (03-292-18)
He will constitute (someone) with large lotus-shaped eyes, soles brilliant like lotus-copper, a lovely forehead, and a beautiful hairline as a son. (03-292-19)
Fortunate people, my son, will see you crawling about on the ground, covered with dust, uttering indistinct babblings. (03-292-20)
Fortunate people, my son, will see you again in your youthful appearance, just as a lion with a mane is seen, born in the Himalayan forest. (03-292-21)
O king, thus having lamented in many ways with deep sorrow, Pṛthā then released the box into the water of the Aśvanadī river. (03-292-22)
O king, at midnight, Pṛthā, lotus-eyed and afflicted by grief for her son, weeping together with her nurse, was longing to see her son. (03-292-23)
Because of the fear of addressing her father, she put away the casket and then, afflicted with grief, she again entered the royal palace. (03-292-24)
The box, having departed from the Aśvanadī river, went to the Carmaṇvatī river; from Carmaṇvatī to the Yamunā, then to the Gaṅgā indeed she went. (03-292-25)
He, who was an embryo placed in a box, being carried by the waves of the Gaṅgā, approached the city of Campā in the territory of the Sūtas. (03-292-26)
That divine armor with earrings, arisen from nectar—he bore that embryo, which was divine and created by Vidhi (Brahmā). (3-292-27)
