Mahabharata, Book 1, Section CXXX: Sambhava Parvaआदिपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 1.130.

130Sanskrit adhyāya 1.130 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

जनमेजय उवाच।
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्राणामादितः कथितं त्वया।
ऋषेः प्रसादात्तु शतं न च कन्या प्रकीर्तिता।।
वैश्यापुत्रो युयुत्सुश्च कन्या चैका शताधिका।
गान्धारराजदुहिता शतपुत्रेति चानघ।।
उक्ता महर्षिणा तेन व्यासेनामिततेजसा।
कथं त्विदानीं भगवन्कन्यां त्वं तु ब्रवीषि मे।।
यदि भागशतं पेशी कृता तेन महर्षिणा।
न प्रजास्यति चेद्भूयः सौबलेयी कथंचन।।
कथं तु संभवस्तस्या दुःशलाया वदस्व मे।
यथावदिह विप्रर्षे परं मेऽत्र कुतूहलम्।।
वैशंपायन उवाच।
साध्वयं प्रश्न उद्दिष्टः पाण्डवेय ब्रवीमि ते।
तां मांसपेशीं भगवान्स्वयमेव महातपाः।।
शीताभिरद्भिरासिच्य भागं भागमकल्पयत्।
यो यथा कल्पितो भागस्तंत धात्र्या तथा नृप।।
घृतपूर्णेषु कुण्डेषु एकैकं प्राक्षिपत्तदा।
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे साध्वी गान्धारी सुदृढव्रता।।
दुहितुः स्नेहसंयोगमनुध्याय वराङ्गना।
`नाब्रवीत्तमृषिं किंचिद्गौरवाच्च यशस्विनी।'
मनसा चिन्तयद्देवी एतत्पुत्रशतं मम।।
भविष्यति न संदेहो न ब्रवीत्यन्यथा मुनिः।
ममेयं परमा तुष्टिर्दुहिता मे भवेद्यदि।।
एका शताधिका बाला भविष्यति कनीयसी।
ततो दौहित्रजाल्लोकादबाह्योऽसौ पतिर्मम।।
अधिका किल नारीणां प्रीतिर्जामातृजा भवेत्।
यदि नाम ममापि स्याद्दुहितैका शताधिका।।
कृतकृत्या भवेयं वै पुत्रदौहित्रसंवृता।
यदि सत्यं तपस्तप्तं दत्तं वाऽप्यथवा हुतम्।।
गुरवस्तोषिता वापि तथाऽस्तु दुहिता मम।
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु कृष्णद्वैपायनः स्वयम्।।
व्यभजत्स तदा पेशीं भगवानृषिसत्तमः।
`गण्यमानेषु कुण्डेषु शते पूर्णे महात्मना।।
अभवच्चापरं खण्डं वामहस्ते तदा किल।'
गणयित्वा शतं पूर्णमंशानामाह सौबलीम्।।
व्यास उवाच।
पूर्णं पुत्रशतं त्वेतन्न मिथ्या वागुदाहृता।
दैवयोगाच्च भागैकः परिशिष्टः शतात्परः।।
एषा ते सुभगा कन्या भविष्यति यतेप्सिता।
वैशंपायन उवाच।
ततोऽन्यं घृतकुम्भं च समानाय्य महातपाः।।
तं चापि प्राक्षिपत्तत्र कन्याभागं तपोधनः।
`संभूता चैव कालेन सर्वेषां च यवीयसी।।
ऐतत्ते कथितं राजन्दुःशलाजन्म भारत।
ब्रूहि राजेन्द्र किं भूयो वर्तयिष्यामि तेऽनघ।।

English Ganguli

“Janamejaya said, ‘O Brahmana, it behoveth thee to relate to me everything about the birth of Kripa. How did he spring from a clump of heath? Whence also did he obtain his weapons?’

“Vaisampayana said, ‘O king, the great sage Gautama had a son named Saradwat. This Saradwat was born with arrows (in hand). O oppressor of foes, the son of Gautama exhibited great aptitude for the study of the science of weapons, but none for the other sciences. Saradwat acquired all his weapons by those austerities by which Brahmanas in student life acquire the knowledge of Vedas. Gautama (the son of Gotama) by his aptitude for the science of weapons and by his austerities made Indra himself greatly afraid of him. Then, O thou of Kuru’s race, the chief of the gods summoned a celestial damsel named Janapadi and sent her unto Gautama, saying, ‘Do thy best to disturb the austerities of Gautama.’ Repairing unto the charming asylum of Saradwat, the damsel began to tempt the ascetic equipped with bow and arrows. Beholding that Apsara, of figure unrivalled on earth for beauty, alone in those woods and clad in a single piece of cloth, Saradwat’s eyes expanded with delight. At the sight of the damsel, his bow and arrows slipped from his hand and his frame shook all over with emotion; but possessed of ascetic fortitude and strength of soul, the sage mustered sufficient patience to bear up against the temptation. The suddenness, however, of his mental agitation, caused an unconscious emission of his vital fluid. Leaving his bow and arrows and deer-skin behind, he went away, flying from the Apsara. His vital fluid, however, having fallen upon a clump of heath, was divided into two parts, whence sprang two children that were twins.

“And it happened that a soldier in attendance upon king Santanu while the monarch was out a-hunting in the woods, came upon the twins. And seeing the bow and arrows and deer-skin on the ground, he thought they might be the offspring of some Brahmana proficient in the science of arms. Deciding thus, he took up the children along with the bow and arrows, and showed what he had to the king. Beholding them the king was moved with pity, and saying, ‘Let these become my children,’ brought them to his palace. Then that first of men, Santanu, the son of Pratipa having brought Gautama’s twins into his house, performed in respect of them the usual rites of religion. And he began to bring them up and called them Kripa and Kripi, in allusion to the fact that he brought them up from motives of pity (Kripa). The son of Gotama having left his former asylum, continued his study of the science of arms in right earnest. By his spiritual insight he learnt that his son and daughter were in the palace of Santanu. He thereupon went to the monarch and represented everything about his lineage. He then taught Kripa the four branches of the science of arms, and various other branches of knowledge, including all their mysteries and recondite details. In a short time Kripa became an eminent professor of the science (of arms). And the hundred sons of Dhritarashtra, and the Pandavas along with the Yadavas, and the Vrishnis, and many other princes from various lands, began to receive lessons from him in that science.’”