Mahabharata — Volume I (Dutt edition) — Chapter 97

MBh 1 97.1

वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः प्रतीपो राजाऽऽसीत् सर्वभूतहितः सदा। निषसाद समा बह्वीर्गङ्गाद्वारगतो जपन्॥

vaiśampāyana uvāca tataḥ pratīpo rājā''sīt sarvabhūtahitaḥ sadā| niṣasāda samā bahvīrgaṅgādvāragato japan||

Vaishampayana said: There was a king, named Pratipa, engaged in doing good to all creatures. He spent many years in ascetic penances, going to the source of (the river)Ganga.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.2

तस्य रूपगुणोपेता गङ्गा स्त्रीरूपधारिणी। उत्तीर्य सलिलात् तस्माल्लोभनीयतमाकृतिः॥ अधीयानस्य राजर्षेर्दिव्यरूपा मनस्विनी। दक्षिणं शालसंकाशमूरूं भेजे शुभानना॥

tasya rūpaguṇopetā gaṅgā strīrūpadhāriṇī| uttīrya salilāt tasmāllobhanīyatamākṛtiḥ|| adhīyānasya rājarṣerdivyarūpā manasvinī| dakṣiṇaṃ śālasaṃkāśamūrūṃ bheje śubhānanā||

The accomplished and beautiful Ganga, in the form of a tempting woman, rose from the water and came to the king. That beautifulfeatured lady, that intelligent celestial maiden, endued with ravishing beauty, sat upon the right thigh of the king which was like a Shala tree.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.3

प्रतीपस्तु महीपालस्तामुवाच यशस्विनीम्। करोमि किं ते कल्याणि प्रियं यत् तेऽभिकासितम्॥

pratīpastu mahīpālastāmuvāca yaśasvinīm| karomi kiṃ te kalyāṇi priyaṃ yat te'bhikāsitam||

Thereupon, the king Pratipa asked that famous "O fortunate lady, what good can I do to you and which you desire?"

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.4

स्व्युवाच त्वामहं कामये राजन् भजमानां भजस्व माम्। त्यागः कामवतीनां हि स्त्रीणां सद्भिर्विगर्हितः॥

svyuvāca tvāmahaṃ kāmaye rājan bhajamānāṃ bhajasva mām| tyāgaḥ kāmavatīnāṃ hi strīṇāṃ sadbhirvigarhitaḥ||

The Maiden said: O king, I desire to have you. I offer myself, accept me. To reject a woman who is full of desire is never considered good by the wise.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.5

प्रतीप उवाच नाहं परस्त्रियं कामाद् गच्छेयं वरवर्णिनी। न चासवर्णा कल्याणि धर्म्यमेतद्धि मे व्रतम्॥

pratīpa uvāca nāhaṃ parastriyaṃ kāmād gaccheyaṃ varavarṇinī| na cāsavarṇā kalyāṇi dharmyametaddhi me vratam||

Pratipa said: O beautiful lady, I never go to another man's wife out of lust. O fortunate maiden, this is my solemn vow.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.6

स्व्युवाच नाश्रेयस्यस्मि नागम्या न वक्तव्या च कर्हिचित्। जन्ती भज मां राजन् दिव्यां कन्यां वरस्त्रियम्॥

svyuvāca nāśreyasyasmi nāgamyā na vaktavyā ca karhicit| jantī bhaja māṃ rājan divyāṃ kanyāṃ varastriyam||

The Maiden said : I am neither inauspicious, not ugly, nor a detestable maiden. I am a celestial damsel of great beauty, O king, I offer myself, accept me.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.7

प्रतीप उवाच त्वया निवृत्तमेतत् तु यन्मां चोदयसि प्रियम्। अन्यथा प्रतिपन्नं मां नाशयेद् धर्मविप्लवः॥

pratīpa uvāca tvayā nivṛttametat tu yanmāṃ codayasi priyam| anyathā pratipannaṃ māṃ nāśayed dharmaviplavaḥ||

Pratipa said : I have abstained from the course to which you would in ite me. If I break my vow, its sin wili destroy me.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.8

प्राप्य दक्षिणमूरूं मे त्वमश्लिष्टा वराङ्गने। अपत्यानां स्नुषाणां च भीरु विद्ध्येतदासनम्॥

prāpya dakṣiṇamūrūṃ me tvamaśliṣṭā varāṅgane| apatyānāṃ snuṣāṇāṃ ca bhīru viddhyetadāsanam||

O beautiful lady, you have sat upon my right thigh. O timid girl, it is the seat for daughters and daughters-in-law.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.9

सव्योरुः कामिनीभोग्यस्त्वया स च विवर्जितः। तस्मादहं नाचरिष्ये त्वयि कामं वराङ्गने॥

savyoruḥ kāminībhogyastvayā sa ca vivarjitaḥ| tasmādahaṃ nācariṣye tvayi kāmaṃ varāṅgane||

The left thigh is the seat for the wife, but you have rejected it. Therefore, O best lady, I cannot accept you.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.10

स्नुषा मे भव सुश्रोणि पुत्रार्थं त्वां वृणोम्यहम्। स्नुषापदं हि वामोरु त्वमागम्य समाश्रिता॥

snuṣā me bhava suśroṇi putrārthaṃ tvāṃ vṛṇomyaham| snuṣāpadaṃ hi vāmoru tvamāgamya samāśritā||

O beautiful girl, be my daughter-in-law. I accept you for my son. The left thigh is for the wife which you have not accepted.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.11

स्त्र्युवाच एवमष्यस्तु धर्मज्ञ संयुज्येयं सुतेन ते। त्वद्भक्त्या तु भजिष्यामि प्रख्यातं भारतं कुलम्॥

stryuvāca evamaṣyastu dharmajña saṃyujyeyaṃ sutena te| tvadbhaktyā tu bhajiṣyāmi prakhyātaṃ bhārataṃ kulam||

The Maiden said: O virtuous man, let it be as you say. Let me be united with your son. Out of respect for you, I shall be a wife of the famous Bharata race.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.12

पृथिव्यां पार्थिवा ये च तेषां यूयं परायणम्। गुणा न हि मया शक्या वक्तुं वर्षशतैरपि॥

pṛthivyāṃ pārthivā ye ca teṣāṃ yūyaṃ parāyaṇam| guṇā na hi mayā śakyā vaktuṃ varṣaśatairapi||

You are the refuge of all the monarchs of the earth. I am incapable of reciting your qualifications even in one hundred years.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.13

कुलस्य ये वः प्रथितास्तत्साधुत्वमथोत्तमम्। समयेनेह धर्मज्ञ आचरेयं च यद् विभो॥ तत् सर्वमेव पुत्रस्ते न मीमांसेत कर्हिचित्। एवं वसन्ती पुढे ते वर्धयिष्याम्यहं रतिम्॥ पुत्रैः पुण्यैः प्रियैश्चैव स्वर्ग प्राप्स्यति ते सुतः।

kulasya ye vaḥ prathitāstatsādhutvamathottamam| samayeneha dharmajña ācareyaṃ ca yad vibho|| tat sarvameva putraste na mīmāṃseta karhicit| evaṃ vasantī puḍhe te vardhayiṣyāmyahaṃ ratim|| putraiḥ puṇyaiḥ priyaiścaiva svarga prāpsyati te sutaḥ|

O virtuous man, the greatness and goodness of many celebrated monarchs of (your) this race is unlimited. But, O lord, this must be the term (of my becoming your daughter-in-law) that your son shall not be able to judge the propriety for my acts. Living thus with your son, I shall make him happy and do him good. He shall finally ascend heaven in consequence of his virtues and good conduct and of the sons I shall bear him.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.14

वैशम्पायन उवाच तथेत्युक्ता तु सा राजंस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत॥ पुत्रजन्म प्रतीक्षन् वै स राजा तदधारयत्। एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु प्रतीपः क्षत्रियर्षभः॥ तपस्तेपे सुतस्यार्थे सभार्यः कुरुनन्दन।

vaiśampāyana uvāca tathetyuktā tu sā rājaṃstatraivāntaradhīyata|| putrajanma pratīkṣan vai sa rājā tadadhārayat| etasminneva kāle tu pratīpaḥ kṣatriyarṣabhaḥ|| tapastepe sutasyārthe sabhāryaḥ kurunandana|

Vaishampayana said: O King, having said this, the celestial maiden then and there disappeared. The king also waited for the birth of his son, so that he could fulfil his promise. Some time after, the best of Kshatriyas, that light of the Kuru race, Pratipa, was engaged with his wife in ascetic penances with the desire of a son.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.15

तयोः समभवत् पुत्रो वृद्धयोः स महाभिषः॥ शान्तस्य जज्ञे संतानस्तस्मादासीत् स शान्तनुः।

tayoḥ samabhavat putro vṛddhayoḥ sa mahābhiṣaḥ|| śāntasya jajñe saṃtānastasmādāsīt sa śāntanuḥ|

When they grew old, a son was born to them and this son was Mahabhisha. He was called Shantanu, because he was born when his father had controlled his passions by asceticism.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.16

संस्मरंश्चाक्षयाँल्लोकान् विजातान् स्वेन कर्मणा॥ पुण्यकर्मकृदेवासीच्छान्तनुः कुरुसत्तमः। प्रतीपः शान्तनुं पुत्रं यौवनस्थं ततोऽन्वशात्॥

saṃsmaraṃścākṣayā~llokān vijātān svena karmaṇā|| puṇyakarmakṛdevāsīcchāntanuḥ kurusattamaḥ| pratīpaḥ śāntanuṃ putraṃ yauvanasthaṃ tato'nvaśāt||

The best of Kurus, Shantanu, knowing that the regions of indestructible happiness could be gained only by virtuous deeds, devoted himself to virtue. When Shantanu grew up to be a youth, Pratipa told him-

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.17

पुरा स्त्री मां समभ्यागाच्छान्तनो भूतये तव। त्वामाव्रजेद् यदि रहः सा पुत्र वरवर्णिनी॥ कामयानाभिरूपाढ्या दिव्या स्त्री पुत्रकाम्यया। सा त्वया नानुयोक्तव्या कासि कस्यासि चाङ्गने॥ यच कुर्यान्न तत् कर्म सा प्रष्टव्या त्वयानघ। मन्नियोगाद् भजन्तीं तां भजेथा इत्युवाच तम्॥

purā strī māṃ samabhyāgācchāntano bhūtaye tava| tvāmāvrajed yadi rahaḥ sā putra varavarṇinī|| kāmayānābhirūpāḍhyā divyā strī putrakāmyayā| sā tvayā nānuyoktavyā kāsi kasyāsi cāṅgane|| yaca kuryānna tat karma sā praṣṭavyā tvayānagha| manniyogād bhajantīṃ tāṃ bhajethā ityuvāca tam||

"O Shantanu, some time before, a celestial damsel came to me for good. If you meet that beautiful celestial damsel in secret and if she solicits you to beget offspring on her, accept her as your wife. O sinless one, judge not the propriety of impropriety of anything she does. Ask not who she is, whom she belongs to and whence she comes. But accept her as your wife at my command."

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.18

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं संदिश्य तनयं प्रतीपः शान्तनुं तदा। स्वे च राज्येऽभिषिच्यैनं वनं राजा विवेश ह॥

vaiśampāyana uvāca evaṃ saṃdiśya tanayaṃ pratīpaḥ śāntanuṃ tadā| sve ca rājye'bhiṣicyainaṃ vanaṃ rājā viveśa ha||

Vaishampayana said : Having thus commanded his son Shantanu and installed him on his throne, that king, Pratipa, retired into a forest.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.19

स राजा शान्तनुर्धीमान् देवराजसमद्युतिः। बभूव मृगयाशील: शान्तनुर्वनगोचरः॥

sa rājā śāntanurdhīmān devarājasamadyutiḥ| babhūva mṛgayāśīla: śāntanurvanagocaraḥ||

That greatly intelligent king Shantanu, as effulgent as the king of the celestials, became a lover of hunting and passed much of his time in the woods.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.20

स मृगान् महिषांश्चैव विनिघ्नन् राजसत्तमः। गङ्गामनुचचारैकः सिद्धचारणसेविताम्॥

sa mṛgān mahiṣāṃścaiva vinighnan rājasattamaḥ| gaṅgāmanucacāraikaḥ siddhacāraṇasevitām||

That best of kings many deer and buffaloes. Wandering along the banks of the Ganges, he came upon a place frequented by Siddhas and Charanas.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.21

स कदाचिन्महाराज ददर्श परमां स्त्रियम्। जाज्वल्यमानां वपुषा साक्षाच्छ्रियमिवापराम्॥

sa kadācinmahārāja dadarśa paramāṃ striyam| jājvalyamānāṃ vapuṣā sākṣācchriyamivāparām||

There did the great king meet with one day a lovely damsel of blazing beauty like Sree herself.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.22

सर्वानवद्यां सुदतीं दिव्याभरणभूषिताम्। सूक्ष्माम्बरधरामेकां पद्मोदरसमप्रभाम्॥

sarvānavadyāṃ sudatīṃ divyābharaṇabhūṣitām| sūkṣmāmbaradharāmekāṃ padmodarasamaprabhām||

She was endowed with a faultless beauty and beautiful teeth. She was decked with celestial ornaments. She wore garments as fine and beautiful as the filaments of lotus.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.23

तां दृष्ट्वा हृष्टरोमाभूद् विस्मितो रूपसम्पदा। पिबन्निव च नेत्राभ्यां नातृप्यत नराधिपः।२९॥

tāṃ dṛṣṭvā hṛṣṭaromābhūd vismito rūpasampadā| pibanniva ca netrābhyāṃ nātṛpyata narādhipaḥ|29||

The king was surprised to see that damsel of great beauty; and his hair all over his body stood up in rapture. His steadfast gaze drank her charms, but it failed to satiate him.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.24

सा च दृष्ट्वैव राजानं विचरन्तं महाद्युतिम्। स्नेहादागतसौहार्दा नातृष्यत विलासिनी॥

sā ca dṛṣṭvaiva rājānaṃ vicarantaṃ mahādyutim| snehādāgatasauhārdā nātṛṣyata vilāsinī||

The maiden also, seeing that king of great effulgence move about in great agitation, was moved and felt for him an affection and friendship. She gazed at him and longed to gaze at him more.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.25

तामुवाच ततो राजा सान्त्वयश्लक्ष्णया गिरा। देवी वा दानवी वा त्वं गन्धर्वी चाथ वाप्सराः॥ यक्षी वा पन्नगी वापि मानुषी वा सुमध्यमे। याचे त्वां सुरगर्भाभे भार्या मे भव शोभने॥

tāmuvāca tato rājā sāntvayaślakṣṇayā girā| devī vā dānavī vā tvaṃ gandharvī cātha vāpsarāḥ|| yakṣī vā pannagī vāpi mānuṣī vā sumadhyame| yāce tvāṃ suragarbhābhe bhāryā me bhava śobhane||

The king then addressed her in sweet words. "O beautiful one, O beauty of slender waist, be you a lady of the Deva or Danavas race, be you a maiden of the race of the Gandharvas or the Apsaras, be you a damsel of the Yakshas or the Nagas, or be you a human female, I solicit you to be my wife.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 97.26

तामुवाच ततो राजा सान्त्वयश्लक्ष्णया गिरा। देवी वा दानवी वा त्वं गन्धर्वी चाथ वाप्सराः॥ यक्षी वा पन्नगी वापि मानुषी वा सुमध्यमे। याचे त्वां सुरगर्भाभे भार्या मे भव शोभने॥

tāmuvāca tato rājā sāntvayaślakṣṇayā girā| devī vā dānavī vā tvaṃ gandharvī cātha vāpsarāḥ|| yakṣī vā pannagī vāpi mānuṣī vā sumadhyame| yāce tvāṃ suragarbhābhe bhāryā me bhava śobhane||

The king then addressed her in sweet words. "O beautiful one, O beauty of slender waist, be you a lady of the Deva or Danavas race, be you a maiden of the race of the Gandharvas or the Apsaras, be you a damsel of the Yakshas or the Nagas, or be you a human female, I solicit you to be my wife.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)