12.311
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhishma said.
स लब्ध्वा परमं देवाद्वरं सत्यवतीसुतः। अरणीं त्वथ सङ्गृह्य ममन्थाग्निचिकीर्षया ॥१२-३११-१॥
Having received the supreme boon from the god, the son of Satyavatī took the fire-stick and then churned it, wishing to produce fire. (12-311-1)
अथ रूपं परं राजन्बिभ्रतीं स्वेन तेजसा। घृताचीं नामाप्सरसमपश्यद्भगवानृषिः ॥१२-३११-२॥
Then, O king, the venerable sage saw the apsaras named Ghritachi, bearing a supreme form by her own splendor. (12-311-2)
ऋषिरप्सरसं दृष्ट्वा सहसा काममोहितः। अभवद्भगवान्व्यासो वने तस्मिन्युधिष्ठिर ॥१२-३११-३॥
O Yudhiṣṭhira, the venerable Vyāsa, upon suddenly seeing the celestial nymph in that forest, became overcome by desire. (12-311-3)
सा च कृत्वा तदा व्यासं कामसंविग्नमानसम्। शुकी भूत्वा महाराज घृताची समुपागमत् ॥१२-३११-४॥
And then, O great king, Ghṛtācī, having made Vyāsa's mind agitated by desire, became a female parrot and approached him. (12-311-4)
स तामप्सरसं दृष्ट्वा रूपेणान्येन संवृताम्। शरीरजेनानुगतः सर्वगात्रातिगेन ह ॥१२-३११-५॥
He saw that apsaras, who was covered by another form, and, overcome by bodily desire that surpassed all his limbs, he indeed followed her. (12-311-5)
स तु धैर्येण महता निगृह्णन्हृच्छयं मुनिः। न शशाक नियन्तुं तद्व्यासः प्रविसृतं मनः ॥ भावित्वाच्चैव भावस्य घृताच्या वपुषा हृतः ॥१२-३११-६॥
But he, the sage Vyāsa, though restraining his heart's desire with great fortitude, was not able to control his mind, which had become spread out. Indeed, because of being influenced by feeling, he was carried away by the form of Ghṛtācī. (12-311-6)
यत्नान्नियच्छतस्तस्य मुनेरग्निचिकीर्षया। अरण्यामेव सहसा तस्य शुक्रमवापतत् ॥१२-३११-७॥
While the sage was restraining himself with effort, desiring to produce fire, suddenly his semen fell upon the araṇi (fire-stick). (12-311-7)
सोऽविशङ्केन मनसा तथैव द्विजसत्तमः। अरणीं ममन्थ ब्रह्मर्षिस्तस्यां जज्ञे शुको नृप ॥१२-३११-८॥
He, the best of the twice-born, with a mind free from doubt, churned the fire-stick in the same way; from that, O king, the brahma-ṛṣi Śuka was born. (12-311-8)
शुक्रे निर्मथ्यमाने तु शुको जज्ञे महातपाः। परमर्षिर्महायोगी अरणीगर्भसम्भवः ॥१२-३११-९॥
But as the fire-stick was being churned, Śuka, the great ascetic, supreme seer, and great yogi, was born from the womb of the fire-stick. (12-311-9)
यथाध्वरे समिद्धोऽग्निर्भाति हव्यमुपात्तवान्। तथारूपः शुको जज्ञे प्रज्वलन्निव तेजसा ॥१२-३११-१०॥
Just as the kindled fire shines in the sacrifice after receiving the oblation, so the parrot was born with such a form, blazing as if with brilliance. (12-311-10)
बिभ्रत्पितुश्च कौरव्य रूपवर्णमनुत्तमम्। बभौ तदा भावितात्मा विधूमोऽग्निरिव ज्वलन् ॥१२-३११-११॥
O Kauravya, bearing the unsurpassed form and complexion of his father, at that time the purified-souled one shone, blazing like a smokeless fire. (12-311-11)
तं गङ्गा सरितां श्रेष्ठा मेरुपृष्ठे जनेश्वर। स्वरूपिणी तदाभ्येत्य स्नापयामास वारिणा ॥१२-३११-१२॥
O lord of men, then Gaṅgā, the best of rivers, in her own form, having approached him on the back of Meru, bathed him with water. (12-311-12)
अन्तरिक्षाच्च कौरव्य दण्डः कृष्णाजिनं च ह। पपात भुवि राजेन्द्र शुकस्यार्थे महात्मनः ॥१२-३११-१३॥
O descendant of Kuru, the staff and the black antelope skin also fell from the sky to the ground, O king, for the sake of the great-souled Śuka. (12-311-13)
जेगीयन्ते स्म गन्धर्वा ननृतुश्चाप्सरोगणाः। देवदुन्दुभयश्चैव प्रावाद्यन्त महास्वनाः ॥१२-३११-१४॥
The Gandharvas sang, and the groups of Apsarases danced; the divine drums too were sounded with a great noise. (12-311-14)
विश्वावसुश्च गन्धर्वस्तथा तुम्बुरुनारदौ। हाहाहूहू च गन्धर्वौ तुष्टुवुः शुकसम्भवम् ॥१२-३११-१५॥
Viśvāvasu, the Gandharva, as well as Tumburu and Nārada, and the Gandharvas Hāhā and Hūhū, praised the one born from Śuka. (12-311-15)
तत्र शक्रपुरोगाश्च लोकपालाः समागताः। देवा देवर्षयश्चैव तथा ब्रह्मर्षयोऽपि च ॥१२-३११-१६॥
There, with Indra at the forefront, the guardians of the worlds assembled; the gods, the divine sages, and also the brahma-sages gathered as well. (12-311-16)
दिव्यानि सर्वपुष्पाणि प्रववर्षात्र मारुतः। जङ्गमं स्थावरं चैव प्रहृष्टमभवज्जगत् ॥१२-३११-१७॥
Here, the wind caused all divine flowers to rain down; both moving and non-moving beings, indeed, the entire world became delighted. (12-311-17)
तं महात्मा स्वयं प्रीत्या देव्या सह महाद्युतिः। जातमात्रं मुनेः पुत्रं विधिनोपानयत्तदा ॥१२-३११-१८॥
Then, the greatly radiant great-souled one himself, together with the goddess and with affection, initiated the just-born son of the sage according to the rite. (12-311-18)
तस्य देवेश्वरः शक्रो दिव्यमद्भुतदर्शनम्। ददौ कमण्डलुं प्रीत्या देववासांसि चाभिभो ॥१२-३११-१९॥
Śakra, the lord of the gods, with a divine and wonderful appearance, affectionately gave him a water-pot and divine garments, saying, "O mighty one." (12-311-19)
हंसाश्च शतपत्राश्च सारसाश्च सहस्रशः। प्रदक्षिणमवर्तन्त शुकाश्चाषाश्च भारत ॥१२-३११-२०॥
O Bhārata, swans, lotus-birds, cranes by the thousands, as well as parrots and crows, were circling clockwise. (12-311-20)
आरणेयस्तथा दिव्यं प्राप्य जन्म महाद्युतिः। तत्रैवोवास मेधावी व्रतचारी समाहितः ॥१२-३११-२१॥
Thus, the son of Aruṇa, having attained a divine birth and great splendor, dwelt there, wise, devoted to vows, and composed. (12-311-21)
उत्पन्नमात्रं तं वेदाः सरहस्याः ससङ्ग्रहाः। उपतस्थुर्महाराज यथास्य पितरं तथा ॥१२-३११-२२॥
O great king, as soon as he was born, the Vedas, along with their secrets and collections, attended upon him just as they did upon his father. (12-311-22)
बृहस्पतिं तु वव्रे स वेदवेदाङ्गभाष्यवित्। उपाध्यायं महाराज धर्ममेवानुचिन्तयन् ॥१२-३११-२३॥
But he chose Bṛhaspati, the knower of the Veda, Vedāṅga, and commentaries, as his preceptor, O great king, reflecting only upon dharma. (12-311-23)
सोऽधीत्य वेदानखिलान्सरहस्यान्ससङ्ग्रहान्। इतिहासं च कार्त्स्न्येन राजशास्त्राणि चाभिभो ॥१२-३११-२४॥
O mighty one, having studied all the Vedas along with their secrets and compilations, as well as the history and the treatises on kingship in their entirety, he (did so). (12-311-24)
गुरवे दक्षिणां दत्त्वा समावृत्तो महामुनिः। उग्रं तपः समारेभे ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः ॥१२-३११-२५॥
Having given the offering to his teacher, the great sage, having completed his studies, undertook intense austerities, being a concentrated celibate student. (12-311-25)
देवतानामृषीणां च बाल्येऽपि स महातपाः। संमन्त्रणीयो मान्यश्च ज्ञानेन तपसा तथा ॥१२-३११-२६॥
Even in his childhood, he, the great ascetic, was to be consulted and respected by the deities and sages alike, due to his knowledge and austerity. (12-311-26)
न त्वस्य रमते बुद्धिराश्रमेषु नराधिप। त्रिषु गार्हस्थ्यमूलेषु मोक्षधर्मानुदर्शिनः ॥१२-३११-२७॥
But, O king, his mind does not take pleasure in the āśramas; for one who observes the dharma of liberation, the three roots of householdership do not attract the intellect. (12-311-27)
