वैशम्पायन उवाच ततो गर्भः समभवत् पृथायाः पृथिवीपते। शुक्ले दशोत्तरे पक्षे तारापतिरिवाम्बरे॥
Vaishampayana said : Then, O lord of the earth, like the lord of the stars in the heavens, Pritha conceived a son on the first day of the lighted fortnight during the tenth month.
सा बान्धवभयाद् बाला गर्भं तं विनिगूहती। धारयामास सुश्रोणी न चैनां बुबुधे जनः॥
That fair-hipped damsel afraid of the censure of her friends concealed her pregnancy, so that no body was aware of her real state.
न हि तां वेद नार्यन्या काचिद् धात्रेयिकामृते। कन्यापुरगतां बालां निपुणां परिरक्षणे॥
And as that girl lived in the apartments of maidens, no other women knew her condition except her nurse's daughter who was wellskilled in ministrations.
ततः कालेन सा गर्भं सुषुवे वरवर्णिनी। कन्यैव तस्य देवस्य प्रसादादमरप्रभम्॥
(And) in time that damsel of excellent complexion by the favour of that god, Surya, was delivered of a son beautiful as a celestials.
तथैवाबद्धकवचं काकोज्ज्वलकुण्डलम्। हर्यक्षं वृषभस्कन्धं यथास्य पितरं तथा॥
And like his father he was clad in armour, adorned with brilliant golden ear-rings, endued with leonine eyes and bovine shoulders.
जातमात्रं च तं गर्भ धान्या सम्मन्य भाविनी। मञ्जूषायां समाधाय स्वास्तीर्णायां समन्ततः॥ मधूच्छिष्टस्थितायां सा सुखायां रुदती तथा। श्लक्ष्णायां सुपिधानायामश्वनद्यामवासृजत्॥
And as soon as her delivery took place that girl, in consultation with her nurse, placed her child in a water-proof basket, covered all over with sheets, made of wicker work, smooth, comfortable and furnished with a beautiful pillow. And with tearful eyes she consigned it to the (waters of) the river Ashva.
जानती चाप्यकर्तव्यं कन्याया गर्भधारणम्। पुत्रस्नेहेन सा राजन् करुणं पर्यदेवयत्॥
O king of kings, though she knew that it was not proper for a maiden to be big with child, yet from her affection towards the child she wept bitterly.
समुत्सृजन्ती मञ्जूषामश्वनद्यां तदा जले। उवाच रुदती कुन्ती यौनि वाक्यानि तच्छृणु॥
And hear the words which Kunti uttered while she, weeping bitterly, consigned the basket to the waters of the river Ashva.
स्वस्ति ते चान्तरिक्षेभ्यः पार्थिवेभ्यश्च पुत्रका दिव्येभ्यश्चैव भूतेभ्यस्तथा तोयचराश्च ये॥
"O son, may all the creatures inhabiting the firmament, the earth, the celestials regions and the water contribute to your welfare.
शिवास्ते सन्तु पन्थानो मा च ते परिपन्थिनः। आगताच तथा पुत्र भवन्त्वद्रोहचेतसः॥
May all your ways be auspicious and unobstructed. And, O son, may the minds of those that may meet with you, be not inclined to enmity towards you.
पातु त्वां वरुणो राजा सलिले सलिलेश्वरः। अन्तरिक्षेऽन्तरिक्षस्थः पवनः सर्वगस्तथा॥
On the waters may king Varuna, the lord of waters, protect you. And similarly may Pavana (the wind-god) who ranges in the sky and wanders everywhere protect you in the sky.
पिता त्वां पातु सर्वत्र तपनस्तपतां वरः। येन दत्तोऽसि मे पुत्र दिव्येन विधिना किल॥
O son, may your father, the foremost of those that shed heat and by whom you have been begotten on me by the ordinance of Destiny preserve you everywhere.
आदित्या वसवो रुद्राः साध्या विश्वे च देवताः। मरुतश्च सहेन्द्रेण दिशश्च दसिगीश्वराः॥
And may you be protected by the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Sadhyas the Vishvadevas, the Marutas and the cardinal points together with their guardians and Indra.
रक्षन्तु त्वां सुराः सर्वे समेषु विषमेषु च। वेत्स्यामि त्वां विदेशेऽपि कवचेनाभिसूचितम्॥
And may all the gods protect you in every state whether favourable or adverse. Even in foreign countries I shall be able to recognise you on account of your coat-of-mail.
धन्यस्ते पुत्र जनको देवो भानुर्विभावसुः। यस्त्वां द्रक्ष्यति दिव्येन चक्षुषा वाहिनीगतम्॥
Blessed is indeed your divine father, Bhanu, having effulgence for his wealth, who by means of his celestials sight, beholds you going down the stream.
धन्या सा प्रमदा या त्वां पुत्रत्वे कल्पयिष्यति। यस्यास्त्वं तृषितः पुत्र स्तनं पास्यसि देवज॥
And O son of a deity, that lady is also blessed who will adopt you as her son and feed you from her breast when you are thirsty.
को नु स्वप्नस्तया दृष्टो या त्वामादित्यवर्चसम्। दिव्यवर्मसमायुक्तं दिव्यकुण्डलभूषितम्॥ पद्मायतविशालाक्षं पद्मताम्रदलोज्वलम्। सुललाटं सुकेशान्तं पुत्रत्वे कल्पयिष्यति॥
What a dream she has dreamed who will adopt for her son you who are resplendent as the sun, clad in a celestials armour, adorned with celestials ear-rings, endued with broad and expansive eyes like lotuses, possessed of a complexion bright as the copper-coloured lotus-leaves, graced with a beautiful forehead and beautiful hair.
धन्या द्रक्ष्यन्ति पुत्र त्वां भूमौ संसर्पमाणकम्। अव्यक्तकलवाक्यानि वदन्तं रेणुगुण्ठितम्॥
They are also blessed, O son, who will behold you crawl on the ground covered with dust and who will hear your sweet inarticulate speech.
धन्या द्रक्ष्यन्ति पुत्र त्वां पुनर्योवनगोचरम्। हिमवद्वनसम्भूतं सिंहं केसरिणं यथा॥
Blessed are they too, who will see you arrive at manhood like a mained lion of the Himalayan forests.
एवं बहुविधं राजन् विलप्य करुणं पृथा। अवासृजत मञ्जूषामश्वनद्यास्तदा जले॥
Having, O king, thus wept long and bitterly, Pritha then consigned the basket to the waters of the river Ashva.
रुदती पुत्रशोकार्ता निशीथे कमलेक्षणा। धात्र्या सह पृथा राजन् पुत्रदर्शनलालसा॥
And, O monarch, accompanied by her nurse the lotus-eyed Pritha desirous of beholding her son again and again and overpowered with grief for her son and weeping piteously, at night.
विसर्जयित्वा मञ्जूषां सम्बोधनभयात् पितुः। विवेश राजभवनं पुनः शोकातुरा ततः॥
Laid the basket (on the waters of the Ashva) and entered into the palace with a heavy heart lest her father might know (the secret).
मञ्जूषा त्वश्वनद्याः सा ययौ चर्मण्वती नदीम्। चर्मण्वत्याश्च यमुनां ततो गङ्गां जगाम ह॥
(On the other hand) the basket came from the Ashva to the river Charmavati, from the Charınavati to the Yamuna and thence to the Ganga.
गङ्गायाः सूतविषयं चप्पामनुययौ पुरीम्। स मञ्जूषागतो गर्भस्तरङ्गरुह्यमानकः॥
And that basket containing the child, borne along the waves of the Ganga arrived at the city of Champa in the Suta territory.
अमृतादुत्थितं दिव्यं तनुवर्म सकुण्डलम्। धारयामास तं गर्भं दैवं च विधिनिर्मितम्॥
And that child was kept alive on account of the celestials mail and ear-rings both made of Amrita and also on account of the ordinance of Destiny.