वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्ता महाराज कुन्ती पाण्डुमभाषत। कुरूणामृषभं वीरं तदा भूमिपति पतिम्॥
Vaishampayana said : O great king, having been thus assessed Kunti replied to her heroic lord, king Pandu, the best of the Kurus.
न मामर्हसि धर्मज्ञ वक्तुमेवं कथंचना धर्मपत्नीमभिरतां त्वयि राजीवलोचने॥
Kunti said: O virtuous one, you should not say so to me. O lotus eyed one, I am your lawfully wedded wife, ever devoted to you.
त्वमेव तु महाबाहो मय्यपत्यानि भारत। वीर वीर्योपपन्नानि धर्मतो जनयिष्यसि॥
O mighty armed descendant of the Bharata race, you should in righteousness beget on me greatly powerful children.
स्वर्गं मनुजशार्दूल गच्छेयं सहिता त्वया। अपत्याय च मां गच्छ त्वमेव कुरुनन्दन।॥
O best of men, I shall go to heaven with you. O descendant of Kuru, embrace me to beget offspring
न ह्यहं मनसाप्यन्यं गच्छेयं त्वदृते नरम्। त्वत्तः प्रतिविशिष्टश्च कोऽन्योऽस्ति भुवि मानवः॥
I shall not certainly, even in imagination, accept any other man except you in my embrace. Who is there in this world who could be superior to you?
इमां च तावद् धर्मात्मन् पौराणीं शृणु मे कथाम्। परिश्रुतां विशालाक्ष कीर्तयिष्यामि यामहम्॥
O virtuous minded man, O large eyed one, hear the (following) Pauranika narrative which was heard by me and which I shall now narrate to you.
व्युषिताश्व इति ख्यातो बभूव किल पार्थिवः। पुरा परमधर्मिष्ठः पूरोर्वंशविवर्धनः॥
"In ancient times there was a king known by the name of Vyushitashva, the expander of the Puru dynasty, who was exceedingly virtuous.
तस्मिंश्च यजमाने वै धर्मात्मनि महाभुजे। उपागमस्ततो देवाः सेन्द्रा देवर्षिभिः सह॥
In the sacrifice which that virtuous and mighty armed man performed, the celestial with Indra and Devarshis came.
अमाद्यदिन्द्रः सोमेन दक्षिणाभिर्द्विजातयः। व्युषिताश्वस्य राजर्षेस्ततो यज्ञे महात्मनः॥ देवा ब्रह्मर्षयश्चैव चक्रुः कर्म स्वयं तदा। व्युषिताश्वस्ततो राजन्नति मान् व्यरोचत॥
In the sacrifice of the illustrious royal sage Vyushitashva, Indra was so intoxicated with Soma drink and the Brahmanas with Dakshina (offerings) that the celestial and the Brahmana Rishis performed everything of it themselves. O king, thereupon Vyushitashva began to shine over all creatures.
सर्वभूतान् प्रति यथा तपन: शिशिरात्यये। स विजित्य गृहीत्वा च नृपतीन् राजसत्तमः॥ प्राच्यानुदीच्या पाश्चान्यान् दाक्षिणात्यानकालयत्। अश्वमेधे महायज्ञे व्युषिताश्वः प्रतापवान्॥
O king, thereupon Vyushitashva began to shine over all creatures like the sun after the season of frost. O best of kings, he conquered all the monarchs of the east, west, north and south and he exacted tribute from them all.
बभूव स हि राजेन्द्रो दशनागबलान्वितः। अप्यत्र गाथां गायन्ति ये पुराणविदो जनाः॥ व्युषिताश्वे यशोवृद्ध मनुष्येन्द्रे कुरूत्तम। व्युषिताश्वः समुद्रान्तां विजित्येमां वसुंधराम्॥ अपालयत् सर्ववर्णान् पिता पुत्रानिवौरसान्। यजमानो महायज्ञैर्ब्राह्मणेभ्यो धनं ददौ॥
O king, he was endued with the strength of ten elephants. Vyushitashva did all this in his great Horse sacrifice. O best of the Kurus, the men, learned in the Puranas, sing this verse in order to increase the fame of that king of men, Vyushitashva. Vyushitashva has conquered the whole earth as far as sea. He protects all classes of his subjects as a father protects his own sons. He performed many sacrifices and gave away much wealth to the Brahmanas,
अनन्तरत्नान्यादाय स जहार महाक्रतून्। सुषाव च बहून् सोमान् सोमसंस्थास्ततान च॥
Collecting jewels and precious stones, he performed afterwards great sacrifices. Extracting a large quantity of Soma juice, he performed (the great sacrifice) Soma Sanstha.
आसीत् काक्षीवती चास्य भार्या परमसम्मता। भद्रा नाम मनुष्येन्द्र रूपेणासदृशी भुवि॥
O king, his beloved wife was the daughter of Kakshivan, named Bhadra, unrivalled on earth for her beauty.
कामयामासतुस्तौ च परस्परमिति श्रुतम्। स तस्यां कामसम्पन्नो यक्ष्मणा समपद्यत॥ तेनाचिरेण कालेन जगामास्तमिवांशुमान्। तस्मिन् प्रेते मनुष्येन्द्रे भार्यास्य भृशदुःखिता॥
We have heard, they deeply loved each other. He was seldom separated from his wife. Intercourse with her brought in consumption and he soon died sinking like the sun in its glory. She became, afflicted with great grief at her husband's death.
अपुत्रा पुरुषव्याघ्र विललापेति नः श्रुतम्। भद्रा परमदुःखार्ता तन्निबोध जनाधिप॥
O best of men, O king, hear how Bhadra, being childless and afflicted with grief, bewailed for her husband. I shall recount it.
भद्रोवाच नारी परमधर्मज्ञ सर्वा भर्तृविनाकृता। पतिं विना जीवति या न सा जीवति दुःखिता॥
Bhadra said: O greatly learned man in religious precepts, women serve no purpose when their husband is dead. She who lives without her husband lives a miserable life.
पतिं विना मृतं श्रेयो नार्याः क्षत्रियपुङ्गव। त्वद्गतिं गन्तुमिच्छामि प्रसीदस्व नयस्व माम्॥ त्वया हीना क्षणमपि नाहं जीवितुमुत्सहे। प्रसादं कुरु मे राजनितस्तूर्णं नयस्व माम्॥
O best of Kshatriyas, death is preferable to one whom has her husband. I wish to follow the way you have gone. Be kind towards me and take me with you. I am unable in your absence to bear life for a moment. O kind to me and take me soon away.
पृष्ठतोऽनुगमिष्यामि समेषु विषमेषु च। त्वामहं नरशार्दूल गच्छन्तमनिवर्तितुम्॥
O best of men, I shall follow you over even and uneven ground. Going with you, I shall never return again.
छायेवानुगता राजन् सततं वशवर्तिनी। भविष्यामि नरव्याघ्र नित्यं प्रियहिते रता॥
O king, I shall follow you as a shadow. I shall be always obedient to you. O best of kings, I shall ever remain engaged in doing your favourite works,
अद्यप्रभृति मां राजन् कष्टा हृदयशोषणः। आधयोऽभिभविष्यन्ति त्वामृते पुष्करेक्षण॥
O king, O lotus eyed, from this day the heart sucking affliction will always overwhelm me for your death.
अभाग्यया मया नूनं वियुक्ताः सहचारिणः। तेन मे विप्रयोगोऽयमुपपन्नस्त्वया सह॥
Unfortunate am I! some loving couple had no doubt been separated by me in my former life. From this I am separated from you.
विप्रयुक्ता तु या पत्या मुहूर्तमपि जीवति। दुःखं जीवति सा पापा नरकस्येव पार्थिव॥
O king, she, who lives even for a moment after being separated from her husband that sinful woman, lives in great misery and in hell.
संयुक्ता विप्रयुक्ताश्च पूर्वदेहे कृता मया। तदिदं कर्मभिः पापैः पूर्वदेहेषु संचितम्॥ दुःखं मामनुसम्प्राप्तं राजंस्त्वद्विप्रयोगजम्। अद्यप्रभृत्यहं राजन् कुशसंस्तरशायिनी। भविष्याम्यसुखाविष्टा त्वदर्शनपरायणा॥
Some loving couple must have been separated by me in my former birth; from that sin, acquired in my former body. O king, I now suffer this great pain in consequence of your separation from me. O king, from this day I shall lie on Kusha grass.
दर्शयस्व नरव्याघ्र शाधि मामसुखान्विताम्। कृपणां चाथ करुणं विलपन्ती नरेश्वर॥
I shall abstain from every luxury, being ever desirous of seeing you. O best of men, show yourself to me. O king of men, O lord, command your wretched and bitterly weeping wife, plunged in great misery.
कुन्युवाच एवं बहुविधं तस्यां विलपन्त्यां पुनः पुनः। तं शवं सम्परिष्वज्य वाक् किलान्तर्हिताब्रवीत्॥
Kunti said: It was thus she bewailed again and again embracing the corpse (of her husband). She was then addressed by an invisible voice.
उत्तिष्ठ भद्रे गच्छ त्वं ददानीह वरं तव। जनयिष्याम्यपत्यानि त्वय्यहं चारुहासिनि॥
The Voice said : O Bhadra, rise up and leave this place. I grant you this boon. O lady of sweet smiles, I shall beget offspring on you.
आत्मकीये वरारोहे शयनीये चतुर्दशीम्। अष्टमी वा ऋतुस्नाता संविशेथा मया सह॥
O beautiful featured lady, lie down with me on your bed on the eighth or the fourteenth day of the moon after the bath of your season.
एवमुक्ता तु सा देवी तथा चक्रे पतिव्रता। यथोक्तमेव तद्वाक्यं भद्रा पुत्रार्थिनी तदा॥
Kunti said : Having been thus addressed by the invisible voice, the chaste lady (Bhadra), desirous of offspring, did as she was directed.
सा तेन सुषवे देवी शवेन भरतर्षभ। त्रीन् शाल्वांश्चतुरो मद्रान् सुतान् भरतसत्तम॥
O best of the Bharatas, O excellent descendant of the Bharata race, that lady gave birth of three Shalvas and four Madras by that corpse."
तथा त्वमपि मय्येवं मनसा भरतर्षभ। शक्तो जनयितुं पुत्रांस्तपोयोगबलान्वितः॥
O best of the Bharatas, you too like him beget offspring by your ascetic power.