15.038
karṇajanmakathanam
Narration of the birth of Karna.
kunty uvāca॥
Kunti said.
bhagavañchvaśuro me'si daivatasya-api daivatam। sa me devātidevas-tvaṁ śṛṇu satyāṁ giraṁ mama ॥15-38-1॥
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)
tapasvī kopano vipro durvāsā nāma me pituḥ। bhikṣām-upāgato bhoktuṃ tam-ahaṃ paryatoṣayam ॥15-38-2॥
The ascetic, angry Brāhmaṇa named Durvāsa came to my father's (place) for alms to eat; I satisfied him. (15-38-2)
śaucena tvāgasastyāgaiḥ śuddhena manasā tathā। kopasthāneṣvapi mahatsvakupyaṃ na kadācana ॥15-38-3॥
Through purity, by your abandonment of faults, and by a purified mind, even in great situations for anger, never become angry. (15-38-3)
sa me varam-adāt prītaḥ kṛtam iti aham abruvam। avaśyaṃ te grahītavyam iti māṃ sa abravīd vacaḥ ॥15-38-4॥
He, pleased, gave me a boon. I said, "It is done." He then said to me, "Certainly, you must accept it." (15-38-4)
tataḥ śāpabhayād vipram avocaṃ punar eva tam। evam astv iti ca prāha punar eva sa māṃ dvijaḥ॥15-38-5॥
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)
dharmasya jananī bhadre bhavitrī tvaṃ varānane। vaśe sthāsyanti te devā yāṃs tvaṃ āvāhayiṣyasi ॥15-38-6॥
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)
ity uktvā antarhito vipras tato'haṁ vismitābhavam। na ca sarvāsu avasthāsu smṛtir me vipra naśyati ॥15-38-7॥
Having thus spoken, the Brāhmaṇa disappeared. Then I was astonished. And in all conditions, my memory, O Brāhmaṇa, does not fail. (15-38-7)
atha harmya-tala-sthāhaṁ ravim udyantam īkṣatī। saṁsmṛtya tad ṛṣer vākyaṁ spṛhayantī divākaram ॥ sthitāhaṁ bāla-bhāvena tatra doṣam abudhyatī ॥15-38-8॥
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)
atha devaḥ sahasrāṃśur matsamīpagato'bhavat। dvidhā kṛtvātmanaḥ dehaṃ bhūmau ca gagane'pi ca ॥ tatāpa lokān ekena dvitīyena āgamac ca mām ॥15-38-9॥
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)
sa mām uvāca vepantīṃ varaṃ matto vṛṇīṣva ha। gamyatām iti taṃ ca ahaṃ praṇamya śirasā avadam ॥15-38-10॥
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)
sa mām uvāca tigmāṃśuḥ vṛthā āhvānam na te kṣamam। dhakṣyāmi tvām ca vipram ca yena dattaḥ varaḥ tava ॥15-38-11॥
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)
tam ahaṃ rakṣatī vipraṃ śāpād anaparādhinam। putro me tvat-samo deva bhaved iti tato 'bruvam ॥15-38-12॥
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)
tato māṃ tejasāviśya mohayitvā ca bhānumān। uvāca bhavitā putras tavety abhyagamad divam ॥15-38-13॥
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)
tato'ham antarbhavane pitur vṛttāntarakṣiṇī। gūḍhotpannaṃ sutaṃ bālaṃ jale karṇam avāsṛjam ॥15-38-14॥
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)
nūnaṁ tasyaiva devasya prasādāt punar eva tu। kanyāham abhavaṁ vipra yathā prāha sa mām ṛṣiḥ ॥15-38-15॥
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)
sa mayā mūḍhayā putro jñāyamāno 'py upekṣitaḥ। tan māṃ dahati viprarṣe yathā suviditaṃ tava॥15-38-16॥
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)
yadi pāpam apāpaṃ vā tad etad vivṛtaṃ mayā। tan me bhayaṃ tvaṃ bhagavan vyapanetum iha arhasi॥15-38-17॥
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)
yaccāsya rājño viditaṃ hṛdisthaṃ bhavato'nagha। taṃ cāyaṃ labhatāṃ kāmam adyaiva munisattama ॥15-38-18॥
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)
ity uktaḥ pratyuvācedaṃ vyāso vedavidāṃ varaḥ। sādhu sarvamidaṃ tathyamevaṃeva yathāttha mām ॥15-38-19॥
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)
aparādhaś ca te nāsti kanyābhāvaṃ gatā hy asi। devāś caiśvaryavanto vai śarīrāṇy āviśanti vai॥15-38-20॥
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)
santi devanīkāyāś ca saṅkalpāj janayanti ye। vācā dṛṣṭyā tathā sparśāt saṅgharṣeṇeti pañcadhā ॥15-38-21॥
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)
manuṣyadharmo daivena dharmeṇa na hi yujyate। iti kunti vyajānīhi vyetu te mānaso jvaraḥ॥15-38-22॥
Understand, O Kunti, that human duty is indeed not bound by the law of destiny. Thus, let your mental affliction subside. (15-38-22)
sarvaṃ balavatāṃ pathyaṃ sarvaṃ balavatāṃ śuci। sarvaṃ balavatāṃ dharmaḥ sarvaṃ balavatāṃ svakam ॥15-38-23॥
For the strong, everything is proper, everything is pure, everything is righteousness, everything belongs to them. (15-38-23)
