Mahabharata, Book 1, Section XX: Astika Parvaआदिपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 1.20.

20Sanskrit adhyāya 1.20 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

सौतिरुवाच।
एतत्ते कथितं सर्वममृतं मथितं यथा।
यत्र सोऽश्वः समुत्पन्नः श्रीमानतुलविक्रमः।।
तं निशाम्य तदा कद्रूर्विनतामिदमब्रवीत्।
उच्चैःश्रवा हि किंवर्णो भद्रे प्रब्रूहि मा चिरम्।।
विनतोवाच।
श्वेत एवाश्वराजोऽयं किं वा त्वं मन्यसे शुभे।
ब्रूहि वर्णं त्वमप्यस्य ततोऽत्र विपणावहे।।
कद्रूरुवाच।
कृष्णवालमहं मन्ये हयमेनं शुचिस्मिते।
एहि सार्धं मया दीव्य दासीभावाय भामिनि।।
सौतिरुवाच।
एवं ते समयं कृत्वा दासीभावाय वै मिथः।
जग्मतुः स्वगृहानेव श्वो द्रक्ष्याव इति स्म ह।।
ततः पुत्रसहस्रं तु कद्रूर्जिह्यं चिकीर्षती।
आज्ञापयामास तदा वाला भूत्वाऽञ्जनप्रभाः।।
आविशध्वं हयं क्षिप्रं दासी न स्यामहं यथा।
नावपद्यन्त ये वाक्यं ताञ्शशाप भुजंगमान्।।
सर्पसत्रे वर्तमाने पावको वः प्रधक्ष्यति।
जनमेजयस्य राजर्षेः पाण्डवेयस्य धीमतः।।
शापमेनं तु शुश्राव स्वयमेव पितामहः।
अतिक्रूरं समुत्सृष्टं कद्र्वा दैवादतीव हि।।
सार्धं देवगणैः सर्वैर्वाचं तामन्वमोदत।
बहुत्वं प्रेक्ष्य सर्पाणां प्रजानां हितकाम्यया।।
तिग्मवीर्यविषा ह्येते दन्दशूका महाबलाः।
तेषां तीक्ष्णविषत्वाद्धि प्रजानां च हिताय च।।
युक्तं मात्रा कृतं तेषां परपीडोपसर्पिणाम्।
अन्येषामपि सत्त्वानां नित्यं दोषपरास्तु ये।।
तेषां प्राणान्तिको दण्डो दैवेन विनिपात्यते।
एवं संभाष्य देवस्तु पूज्य कद्रूं च तां तदा।।
आहूय कश्यपं देव इदं वचनमब्रवीत्।
यदेते दन्दशूकाश्च सर्पा जातास्त्वयानघ।।
विषोल्बणा महाभोगा मात्रा शप्ताः परंतप।
तत्र मन्युस्त्वया तात न कर्तव्यः कथंचन।।
दृष्टं पुरातनं ह्येतद्यज्ञे सर्पविनाशनम्।
इत्युक्त्वा सृष्टिकृद्देवस्तं प्रसाद्य प्रजापतिम्।
प्रादाद्विषहरीं विद्यां कश्यपाय महात्मने।।
`एवं शप्तेषु नागेषु कद्र्वातु द्विजसत्तम।
अद्विग्नः शापतस्तस्याः कद्रूं कर्कोटकोऽब्रवीत्।।
मातरं परमप्रीतस्तथा भुजगसत्तमः।
आविश्य वाजिनं मुख्यं बालो भूत्वाञ्जनप्रभः।।
दर्शयिष्यामि तत्राहमात्मानं काममाश्वस।
एवमस्त्विति सा पुत्रं प्रत्युवाच यशस्विनी'।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आदिपर्वणि
आस्तीकर्पणि विंशोऽध्यायः।। 20 ।।

English Ganguli

“Sauti said, ‘Thus have I recited to you the whole story of how Amrita was churned out of the Ocean, and the occasion on which the horse Uchchaihsravas of great beauty and incomparable prowess was obtained. It was this horse about which Kadru asked Vinata, saying, ‘Tell me, amiable sister, without taking much time, of what colour Uchchaishravas is.’ And Vinata answered, ‘That prince of steeds is certainly white. What dost thou think, sister? Say thou what is its colour. Let us lay a wager upon it.’ Kadru replied, then, ‘O thou of sweet smiles. I think that horse is black in its tail. Beauteous one, bet with me that she who loseth will become the other’s slave.’

‘Sauti continued, ‘Thus wagering with each other about menial service as a slave, the sisters went home, and resolved to satisfy themselves by examining the horse next day. And Kadru, bent upon practising a deception, ordered her thousand sons to transform themselves into black hair and speedily cover the horse’s tail in order that she might not become a slave. But her sons, the snakes, refusing to do her bidding, she cursed them, saying, ‘During the snake-sacrifice of the wise king Janamejaya of the Pandava race, Agni shall consume you all.’ And the Grandsire (Brahman) himself heard this exceedingly cruel curse pronounced by Kadru, impelled by the fates. And seeing that the snakes had multiplied exceedingly, the Grandsire, moved by kind consideration for his creatures, sanctioned with all the gods this curse of Kadru. Indeed, as the snakes were of virulent poison, great prowess and excess of strength, and ever bent on biting other creatures, their mother’s conduct towards them—those persecutors of all creatures,—was very proper for the good of all creatures. Fate always inflicts punishment of death on those who seek the death of other creatures. The gods, having exchanged such sentiments with one another, supported Kadru’s action (and went away). And Brahman, calling Kasyapa to him, spake unto him these words, ‘O thou pure one who overcomest all enemies, these snakes begotten by you, who are of virulent poison and huge bodies, and ever intent on biting other creatures, have been cursed by their mother. O son, do not grieve for it in the least. The destruction of the snakes in the sacrifice hath, indeed, been ordained long ago’ Saying this, the divine Creator of the Universe comforted Kasyapa and imparted to that illustrious one the knowledge of neutralising poison.”

And so ends the twentieth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.