Mahabharata, Book 1, Section CXVI: Sambhava Parvaआदिपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 1.116.

116Sanskrit adhyāya 1.116 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

जनमेजय उवाच।
किं कृतं कर्म धर्मेण येन शापमुपेयिवान्।
कस्य शापाच्च ब्रह्मर्षेः शूद्रयोनावजायत।।
वैशंपायन उवाच।
बभूव ब्राह्मणः कश्चिन्माण्डव्य इति विश्रुतः।
धृतिमान्सर्वधर्मज्ञः सत्ये तपसि च स्थितः।।
`स तीर्थयात्रां विचरन्नाजगाम यदृच्छया।
संनिकृष्टानि तीर्थानि ग्रामाणां यानि कानि च।
तत्राश्रमपदं कृत्वा वसति स्म महामुनिः।।'
स आश्रमपदद्वारि वृक्षमूले महातपाः।
ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्महायोगी तस्थौ मौनव्रतान्वितः।।
तस्य कालेन महता तस्मिंस्तपसि वर्ततः।
तमाश्रममनुप्राप्ता दस्यवो लोप्त्रहारिणः।।
अनुसार्यमाणा बहुभी रक्षिभिर्भरतर्षभ।
`तामेव वसतिं जग्मुस्ते ग्रामाल्लोप्त्रहारिणः।।
यस्मिन्नावसथे शेते स मुनिः संशितव्रतः।'
ते तस्यावसथे लोप्त्रं दस्यवः कुरुसत्तम।।
निधाय च भयाल्लीनास्तत्रैवानागते बले।
तेषु लीनेष्वथो शीघ्रं ततस्तद्रक्षिणां बलम्।।
आजगाम ततोऽपश्यंस्तमृषिं तस्करानुगाः।
तमपृच्छंस्ततो राजंस्तथावृत्तं तपोधनम्।।
कतरेण पथा याता दस्यवो द्विजसत्तम।
तेन गच्छामहे ब्रह्मन्यथा शीघ्रतरं वयम्।।
तथा तु रक्षिमां तेषां ब्रुवतां स तपोधनः।
न किंचिद्वचनं राजन्नब्रवीत्साध्वसाधु वा।।
ततस्ते राजपुरुषा विचिन्वानास्तमाश्रमम्।
ददृशुस्तत्र लीनांस्तांश्चोरांस्तद्द्रव्यमेव च।।
ततः शङ्का समभवद्रक्षिणां तं मुनिं प्रति।
संयम्यैनं ततो राज्ञे दस्यूंश्चैव न्यवेदयन्।।
तं राजा सह तैश्चोरैरन्वशाद्वध्यतामिति।
स रक्षिभिस्तैरज्ञातः शूले प्रोतो महातपाः।।
ततस्ते शूलमारोप्य तं मुनिं रक्षिणस्तदा।
प्रतिजग्मुर्महीपालं धनान्यादाय तान्यथ।।
शूलस्थः स तु धर्मात्मा कालेन महता ततः।
निराहारोऽपि विप्रर्षिर्मरणं नाभ्यपद्यत।।
धारयामास च प्राणानृषींश्च समुपानयत्।
शूलाग्रे तप्यमानेन तपस्तेन महात्मना।।
सन्तापं परमं जग्मुर्मुनयस्तपसाऽन्विताः।
ते रात्रौ शकुना भूत्वा सन्निपत्त्य तु भारत।
दर्शन्तो यथाशक्ति तमपृच्छन्द्विजोत्तमम्।।
श्रोतुमिच्छामहे ब्रह्मन्किं पापं कृतवानसि।
येनेह समनुप्राप्तं शूले दुःखभयं महत्।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आदिपर्वणि संभवपर्वणि षोडशाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः।। 116 ।।

English Ganguli

“Janamejaya said, ‘O sinless one, thou hast narrated to me from the beginning all about the birth of Dhritarashtra’s hundred sons owing to the boon granted by the Rishi. But thou hast not told me as yet any particulars about the birth of the daughter. Thou hast merely said that over and above the hundred sons, there was another son named Yuyutsu begotten upon a Vaisya woman, and a daughter. The great Rishi Vyasa of immeasurable energy said unto the daughter of the king of Gandhara that she would become the mother of a hundred sons. Illustrious one, how is that thou sayest Gandhari had a daughter over and above her hundred sons? If the ball of flesh was distributed by the great Rishi only into a hundred parts, and if Gandhari did not conceive on any other occasion, how was then Duhsala born. Tell me this, O Rishi! my curiosity hath been great.”

“Vaisampayana said, ‘O descendant of the Pandavas, thy question is just, and I will tell thee how it happened. The illustrious and great Rishi himself, by sprinkling water over that ball of flesh, began to divide it into parts. And as it was being divided into parts, the nurse began to take them up and put them one by one into those pots filled with clarified butter. While this process was going on, the beautiful and chaste Gandhari of rigid vows, realising the affection that one feeleth for a daughter, began to think within herself, ‘There is no doubt that I shall have a hundred sons, the Muni having said so. It can never be otherwise. But I should be very happy if a daughter were born of me over and above these hundred sons and junior to them all. My husband then may attain to those worlds that the possession of a daughter’s sons conferreth. Then again, the affection the women feel for their sons-in-law is great. If, therefore, I obtain a daughter over and above my hundred sons, then, surrounded by sons and daughter’s sons, I may feel supremely blest. If I have ever practised ascetic austerities, if I have ever given anything in charity, if I have ever performed the homa (through Brahamanas), if I have ever gratified my superiors by respectful attentions, then (as the fruit of those acts) let a daughter be born unto me.’ All this while that illustrious and best of Rishis, Krishna-Dwaipayana himself was dividing the ball of flesh; and counting a full hundred of the parts, he said unto the daughter of Suvala, ‘Here are thy hundred sons. I did not speak aught unto thee that was false. Here, however, is one part in excess of the hundred, intended for giving thee a daughter’s son. This part shall develop into an amiable and fortunate daughter, as thou hast desired’ Then that great ascetic brought another pot full of clarified butter, and put the part intended for a daughter into it.

“Thus have I, O Bharata, narrated unto thee all about the birth of Duhsala. Tell me, O sinless one, what more I am now to narrate.’”