15.038
कर्णजन्मकथनम्
Narration of the birth of Karna.
कुन्त्युवाच॥
Kunti said.
भगवञ्श्वशुरो मेऽसि दैवतस्यापि दैवतम्। स मे देवातिदेवस्त्वं शृणु सत्यां गिरं मम ॥१५-३८-१॥
O venerable one, you are my father-in-law, and even among the gods, you are the divinity. You, my god beyond the gods—listen to my truthful words. (15-38-1)
तपस्वी कोपनो विप्रो दुर्वासा नाम मे पितुः। भिक्षामुपागतो भोक्तुं तमहं पर्यतोषयम् ॥१५-३८-२॥
The ascetic, angry Brāhmaṇa named Durvāsa came to my father's (place) for alms to eat; I satisfied him. (15-38-2)
शौचेन त्वागसस्त्यागैः शुद्धेन मनसा तथा। कोपस्थानेष्वपि महत्स्वकुप्यं न कदाचन ॥१५-३८-३॥
Through purity, by your abandonment of faults, and by a purified mind, even in great situations for anger, never become angry. (15-38-3)
स मे वरमदात्प्रीतः कृतमित्यहमब्रुवम्। अवश्यं ते ग्रहीतव्यमिति मां सोऽब्रवीद्वचः ॥१५-३८-४॥
He, pleased, gave me a boon. I said, "It is done." He then said to me, "Certainly, you must accept it." (15-38-4)
ततः शापभयाद्विप्रमवोचं पुनरेव तम्। एवमस्त्विति च प्राह पुनरेव स मां द्विजः ॥१५-३८-५॥
Then, out of fear of a curse, I again addressed that Brāhmaṇa, and he replied to me again, saying, "So be it," (15-38-5)
धर्मस्य जननी भद्रे भवित्री त्वं वरानने। वशे स्थास्यन्ति ते देवा यांस्त्वमावाहयिष्यसि ॥१५-३८-६॥
O auspicious one, you will be the mother of dharma; O beautiful-faced one, the gods whom you invoke will remain under your control. (15-38-6)
इत्युक्त्वान्तर्हितो विप्रस्ततोऽहं विस्मिताभवम्। न च सर्वास्ववस्थासु स्मृतिर्मे विप्रणश्यति ॥१५-३८-७॥
Having thus spoken, the Brāhmaṇa disappeared. Then I was astonished. And in all conditions, my memory, O Brāhmaṇa, does not fail. (15-38-7)
अथ हर्म्यतलस्थाहं रविमुद्यन्तमीक्षती। संस्मृत्य तदृषेर्वाक्यं स्पृहयन्ती दिवाकरम् ॥ स्थिताहं बालभावेन तत्र दोषमबुध्यती ॥१५-३८-८॥
Then, standing on the palace terrace, I gazed at the rising sun. Remembering the sage’s words, I longed for the sun. I stayed there with a child’s mind, not realizing the fault in this. (15-38-8)
अथ देवः सहस्रांशुर्मत्समीपगतोऽभवत्। द्विधा कृत्वात्मनो देहं भूमौ च गगनेऽपि च ॥ तताप लोकानेकेन द्वितीयेनागमच्च माम् ॥१५-३८-९॥
Then the god, the thousand-rayed Sun, came near me. Dividing his body in two, he placed himself both on the earth and in the sky. With one (form) he heated the worlds, and with the second he came to me. (15-38-9)
स मामुवाच वेपन्तीं वरं मत्तो वृणीष्व ह। गम्यतामिति तं चाहं प्रणम्य शिरसावदम् ॥१५-३८-१०॥
He said to me, who was trembling, 'Ask a boon from me.' I bowed my head to him and said, 'Let me go.' (15-38-10)
स मामुवाच तिग्मांशुर्वृथाह्वानं न ते क्षमम्। धक्ष्यामि त्वां च विप्रं च येन दत्तो वरस्तव ॥१५-३८-११॥
The Sun said to me, 'Your calling in vain is not right. I will burn you and also the sage who granted you that boon.' (15-38-11)
तमहं रक्षती विप्रं शापादनपराधिनम्। पुत्रो मे त्वत्समो देव भवेदिति ततोऽब्रुवम् ॥१५-३८-१२॥
I protect that brāhmaṇa, who was not at fault, from the curse. Then I said, "Let my son be equal to you, O god." (15-38-12)
ततो मां तेजसाविश्य मोहयित्वा च भानुमान्। उवाच भविता पुत्रस्तवेत्यभ्यगमद्दिवम् ॥१५-३८-१३॥
Then, having entered me with his brilliance and bewildered me, the Sun said, “A son will be yours,” and thus ascended to heaven. (15-38-13)
ततोऽहमन्तर्भवने पितुर्वृत्तान्तरक्षिणी। गूढोत्पन्नं सुतं बालं जले कर्णमवासृजम् ॥१५-३८-१४॥
Thereafter, I, secretly protecting my father's event within the house, released my secretly born child, my son Karna, into the water. (15-38-14)
नूनं तस्यैव देवस्य प्रसादात्पुनरेव तु। कन्याहमभवं विप्र यथा प्राह स मामृषिः ॥१५-३८-१५॥
Indeed, by the favor of that very god, I again became a maiden, O Brāhmaṇa, just as the sage had said to me. (15-38-15)
स मया मूढया पुत्रो ज्ञायमानोऽप्युपेक्षितः। तन्मां दहति विप्रर्षे यथा सुविदितं तव ॥१५-३८-१६॥
Although that son was recognized even by me, deluded as I was, I neglected him; O sage among brāhmaṇas, that burns me, as is well known to you. (15-38-16)
यदि पापमपापं वा तदेतद्विवृतं मया। तन्मे भयं त्वं भगवन्व्यपनेतुमिहार्हसि ॥१५-३८-१७॥
O Lord, if what has been revealed by me is a sin or not a sin, therefore, you are worthy here to remove my fear. (15-38-17)
यच्चास्य राज्ञो विदितं हृदिस्थं भवतोऽनघ। तं चायं लभतां काममद्यैव मुनिसत्तम ॥१५-३८-१८॥
O sinless one, whatever is known in the heart of you, of this king, may this person obtain that desire today itself, O best of sages. (15-38-18)
इत्युक्तः प्रत्युवाचेदं व्यासो वेदविदां वरः। साधु सर्वमिदं तथ्यमेवमेव यथात्थ माम् ॥१५-३८-१९॥
Thus addressed, Vyāsa, foremost among knowers of the Veda, replied: "Indeed, all this is exactly true just as you have told me." (15-38-19)
अपराधश्च ते नास्ति कन्याभावं गता ह्यसि। देवाश्चैश्वर्यवन्तो वै शरीराण्याविशन्ति वै ॥१५-३८-२०॥
You have not committed any offence; you are no longer in the state of maidenhood. The gods, endowed with sovereignty, indeed enter into bodies. (15-38-20)
सन्ति देवनिकायाश्च सङ्कल्पाज्जनयन्ति ये। वाचा दृष्ट्या तथा स्पर्शात्सङ्घर्षेणेति पञ्चधा ॥१५-३८-२१॥
There are groups of deities who generate (progeny) in five ways: from thought, by speech, by sight, by touch, and by friction. (15-38-21)
मनुष्यधर्मो दैवेन धर्मेण न हि युज्यते। इति कुन्ति व्यजानीहि व्येतु ते मानसो ज्वरः ॥१५-३८-२२॥
Understand, O Kunti, that human duty is indeed not bound by the law of destiny. Thus, let your mental affliction subside. (15-38-22)
सर्वं बलवतां पथ्यं सर्वं बलवतां शुचि। सर्वं बलवतां धर्मः सर्वं बलवतां स्वकम् ॥१५-३८-२३॥
For the strong, everything is proper, everything is pure, everything is righteousness, everything belongs to them. (15-38-23)
