Mahabharata, Book 2, Section XVIIIसभापर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 2.18.

18Sanskrit adhyāya 2.18 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

राक्षस्युवाच।।
जरा नामास्मि भद्रं ते राक्षसी कामरूपिणी।
तव वेश्मनि राजेन्द्र पूजिता न्यवसं सुखम्।।
गृहे गृहे मनुष्याणां नित्यं तिष्ठामि राक्षसी।
गृहदेवीति नाम्ना वै पुरा सृष्टा स्वयंम्भुवा।।
दानवानां विनाशाय स्थापिता दिव्यरूपिणी।
यो मां भक्त्या लिखेत्कुड्ये सपुत्रां यौवनान्विताम्।।
गृहे तस्य भवेद्वृद्धिरन्यथा क्षयमाप्नुयात्।
त्वद्गृहे तिष्ठमानाऽहं पूजिताऽहं सदा विभो।।
लिखिता चैव कुड्येषु पुत्रैर्बहुभिरावृता।
गन्धपुष्पैस्तथा धूपैर्भक्ष्यभोज्यैः सुपूजिता।।
साऽहं प्रत्युपकारार्थं चिन्तयन्त्यनिशं नृप।
तवेमे पुत्रशकले दृष्टवत्यस्मि धार्मिका।
संश्लिषिते मया दैवात्कुमारः समपद्यत।
तव भाग्यान्महाराज हेतुमात्रमहं त्विह।।
मेरुं वा खादितुं शक्ता किं पुनस्तव बालकम्।
गृहसम्पूजनात्तुष्ट्या मया प्रत्यर्पितस्तव।।
मम नाम्ना च लोकेऽस्मिन्ख्यात एव भविष्यति।
कृष्ण उवाच।
एवमुक्त्वा तु सा राजंस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत।
स सङ्गृह्य कुमारं तं प्रविवेश गृहं नृपः।।
तस्य बालस्य यत्कृत्यं तच्चकार नृपस्तदा।
आज्ञापयच्च राक्षस्या मगधेषु महोत्सवम्।।
तस्य नामाकरोच्चैव पितामहसमः पिता।
जरया सन्धितो यस्माज्जरासन्धो भवत्वयम्।।
सोऽवर्धत महातेजा मागधाधिपतेः सुतः।
प्रमाणबलसम्पन्नो हुताहुतिरिवानलः।।
`एवं स ववृधे राजन्कुमारः पुष्करेक्षणः।
लेन महता चापि यौवनस्थो बभूव ह'।।
मातापित्रोर्नन्दकरः शुक्लपक्षे यथा शशी।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते सभापर्वणि
मन्त्रपर्वणि अष्टादशोऽध्यायः।। 18।।

English Ganguli

“Krishna continued,—‘hearing these words of the king, the Rakshasa woman answered—Blessed be thou, O king of kings. Capable of assuming any form at will. I am a Rakshasa woman called Jara. I am living, O king, happily in thy house, worshipped by all. Every day I wander from house to house of men. Indeed, I was created of old by the Self-create and was named Grihadevi (the household goddess)’. Of celestial beauty I was placed (in the world) for the destruction of the Danavas. He that with devotion painteth on the walls (of his house) a likeness of myself endued with youth and in the midst of children, must have prosperity in his abode; otherwise a household must sustain decay and destruction. O lord, painted on the walls of thy house is a likeness of myself surrounded by numerous children. Stationed there I am daily worshipped with scents and flowers, with incense and edibles and various objects of enjoyment. Thus worshipped in thy house, I daily think of doing thee some good in return. It chanced, O virtuous king, that I beheld the fragmentary bodies of thy son. When these happened to be united by me, a living child was formed of them. O great king, it hath been so owing to thy good fortune alone. I have been only the instrument, I am capable of swallowing the mountain of Meru itself, what shall I say of the child? I have, however, been gratified with thee in consequence of the worship I receive in thy house. It is, therefore, O king, that I have bestowed this child on thee.

“Krishna continued,—Having spoken these words, O king, Jara disappeared there and then. The king having obtained the child then entered the palace. And the king then caused all the rites of infancy to be performed on that child, and ordered a festival to be observed by his people in Honour of that Rakshasa woman. And the monarch equal unto Brahma himself then bestowed a name on his child. And he said that because the child had been united by Jara, he should be called (Jarasandha i.e., united by Jara). And the son of the king of Magadha endued with great energy, began to grow up in bulk and strength like a fire into which hath been poured libation of clarified butter. And increasing day by day like the moon in the bright fortnight, the child began to enhance the joy of his parents.’”