Mahabharata, Book 1, Section XVI: Astika Parvaआदिपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 1.16.

16Sanskrit adhyāya 1.16 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

शौनक उवाच।
सौते त्वं कथयस्वेमां विस्तरेण कथां पुनः।
आस्तीकस्य कवेःसाधोः शुश्रूषा परमा हिनः।।
मधुरं कथ्यते सौम्य श्लक्ष्णाक्षरपदं त्वया।
प्रीयामहे भृशं तात पितेवेदं प्रभाषसे।।
अस्मच्छुश्रूषणे नित्यं पिता हि निरतस्तव।
आचष्टैतद्यथाऽऽक्यानं पिता तेत्वं तथा वद।।
सौतिरुवाच।
आयुष्मन्निदमाख्यानमास्तीकं कथयामि ते।
यथाश्रुतं कथयतः सकाशाद्वै पितुर्मया।।
पुरा देवयुगे ब्रह्मन्प्रजापतिसुते शुभे।
आस्तां भगिन्यौ रूपेण समुपेतेऽद्भुतेऽनघ।।
ते भार्ये कश्यपस्यास्तां कद्रूश्च विनता च ह।
प्रादात्ताभ्यां वरं प्रीतः प्रजापतिसमः पतिः।।
कश्यपो धर्मपत्नीभ्यां मुदा परमया युतः।
वरातिसर्गं श्रुत्वैवं कश्यपादुत्तमं च ते।।
हर्षादप्रतिमां प्रीतिं प्रापतुः स्म वरस्त्रियौ।
वव्रे कद्रूः सुतान्नागान्सहस्रं तुल्यवर्चसः।।
द्वौ पुत्रौ विनता वव्रे कद्रूपुत्राधिकौ बले।
तेजसा वपुषा चैव विक्रमेणाधिकौ च तौ।।
तस्यै भर्ता वरं प्रादादीदृसौ ते भविष्यतः।
एवमस्त्विति तं चाह कश्यपं विनता तदा।।
यथावत्प्रार्थितं लब्ध्वा वरं तुष्टाभवत्तदा।
कृतकृत्या तु विनता लब्ध्वा वीर्याधिकौ सुतौ।।
कद्रूश्च लब्ध्वा पुत्राणां सहस्रं तुल्यवर्चसाम्।
धार्यौ प्रयत्नतो गर्भावित्युक्त्वा स महातपाः।।
ते भार्ये वरसंतुष्टे कश्यपो वनमाविशत्।
सौतुरिवाच।
कालेन महता कद्रूरण्डानां दशतीर्दश।।
जनयामास विप्रेन्द्र द्वे चाण्डे विनता तदा।
तयोरण्डानि निदधुः प्रहृष्टाः परिचारिकाः।।
सोपस्वेदेषु भाण्डेषु पञ्चवर्षशतानि च।
ततः पञ्चशते काले कद्रूपुत्रा विनिःसृताः।।
अण्डाभ्यां विनतायास्तु मिथुनं न व्यदृश्यत।
ततः पुत्रार्थिनी देवी व्रीडिता च तपस्विनी।।
अण्डं बिभेद विनता तत्र पुत्रमपश्यत।
पूर्वार्धकायसंपन्नमितरेणाप्रकाशता।।
स पुत्रः क्रोधसंरब्धः शशापैनामिति श्रुतिः।
योऽहमेवं कृतो मातस्त्वया लोभपरीतया।।
शरीरेणासमग्रेण तस्माद्दासी भविष्यसि।
पञ्च वर्षशतान्यस्या यया विस्पर्धसे सह।।
एष च त्वां सुतो मातर्दासीत्वान्मोचयिष्यति।
यद्येनमपि मातस्त्वं मामिवाण्डविभेदनात्।।
न करिष्यस्यनङ्गं वा व्यङ्गं वापि तपस्विनम्।
प्रतिपालयितव्यस्ते जन्मकालोऽस्य धीरया।।
विशिष्टं बलमीप्सन्त्या पञ्चवर्षशतात्परः।
एवं शप्त्वा ततः पुत्रो विनतामन्तरिक्षगः।।
अरुणोऽदृश्यत ब्रह्मन्प्रभातसमये तदा।
`उद्यन्नथ सहस्रांशुर्दृष्ट्वा तमरुणं प्रभुः।।
स्वतेजसा प्रज्वलन्तमात्मनः समतेजसम्।
सारथ्ये कल्पयामास प्रीयमाणस्तमोनुदः।।
सोऽपि तं रथमारुह्य भानोरमिततेजसः।
सर्वलोकप्रदीपस्य ह्यमरोऽप्यरुणोऽभवत्।।'
गरुडोऽपि यथाकालं जज्ञे पन्नगभोजनः।
स जातमात्रो विनतां परित्यज्य खमाविशत्।।
आदास्यन्नात्मनो भोज्यमन्नं विहितमस्य यत्।
विधात्रा भृगुशार्दूल क्षुधितः पतगेश्वरः।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आदिपर्वाणि
आस्तीकपर्वणि षोडशोऽध्यायः।। 16 ।।

English Ganguli

“Saunaka said, ‘O Sauti, relate once more in detail this history of the learned and virtuous Astika. Our curiosity for hearing it is great. O amiable one, thou speakest sweetly, with proper accent and emphasis; and we are well-pleased with thy speech. Thou speakest even as thy father. Thy sire was ever ready to please us. Tell us now the story as thy father had related it.’

“Sauti said, ‘O thou that art blest with longevity, I shall narrate the history of Astika as I heard it from my father. O Brahmana, in the golden age, Prajapati had two daughters. O sinless one, the sisters were endowed with wonderful beauty. Named Kadru and Vinata, they became the wives of Kasyapa. Kasyapa derived great pleasure from his two wedded wives and being gratified he, resembling Prajapati himself, offered to give each of them a boon. Hearing that their lord was willing to confer on them their choice blessings, those excellent ladies felt transports of joy. Kadru wished to have for sons a thousand snakes all of equal splendour. And Vinata wished to bring forth two sons surpassing the thousand offsprings of Kadru in strength, energy, size of body, and prowess. Unto Kadru her lord gave that boon about a multitude of offspring. And unto Vinata also, Kasyapa said, ‘Be it so!’ Then Vinata, having; obtained her prayer, rejoiced greatly. Obtaining two sons of superior prowess, she regarded her boon fulfilled. Kadru also obtained her thousand sons of equal splendour. ‘Bear the embryos carefully,’ said Kasyapa, and then he went into the forest, leaving his two wives pleased with his blessings.’

“Sauti continued, ‘O best of regenerate ones, after a long time, Kadru brought forth a thousand eggs, and Vinata two. Their maid-servants deposited the eggs separately in warm vessels. Five hundred years passed away, and the thousand eggs produced by Kadru burst and out came the progeny. But the twins of Vinata did not appear. Vinata was jealous, and therefore she broke one of the eggs and found in it an embryo with the upper part developed but the lower one undeveloped. At this, the child in the egg became angry and cursed his mother, saying. ‘Since thou hast prematurely broken this egg, thou shall serve as a slave. Shouldst thou wait five hundred years and not destroy, or render the other egg half-developed, by breaking it through impatience, then the illustrious child within it will deliver thee from slavery! And if thou wouldst have the child strong, thou must take tender care of the egg for all this time!’ Thus cursing his mother, the child rose to the sky. O Brahmana, even he is the charioteer of Surya, always seen in the hour of morning!

“Then at the expiration of the five hundred years, bursting open the other egg, out came Garuda, the serpent-eater. O tiger of Bhrigu’s race, immediately on seeing the light, that son of Vinata left his mother. And the lord of birds, feeling hungry, took wing in quest of the food assigned to him by the Great Ordainer of all.”.

So ends the sixteenth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.