ततः कालेन सा गर्भं सुषुवे वरवर्णिनी। कन्यैव तस्य देवस्य प्रसादादमरप्रभम्
Then, in due time, that woman of splendid beauty gave birth to a child; by the grace of that god, she bore a daughter shining like the immortals.
तथैवाबद्धकवचं कनकोज्ज्वलकुण्डलम्। हर्यक्षं वृषभस्कन्धं यथास्य पितरं तथा
Just as his father, the child was adorned with an unfastened armor, brilliant golden earrings, tawny eyes, and the shoulders of a bull.
जातमात्रं च तं गर्भं धात्र्या संमन्त्र्य भामिनी। `उत्स्रष्टुकामा तं गर्भं कारयामास भारत
As soon as the child was born, the radiant woman, after consulting with the nurse, wished to abandon the child and made arrangements to do so, O Bharata.
मञ्जूषां शिल्पिभिस्तूर्णं सुनद्धां सुप्रतिष्ठिताम् ।। प्लवैर्बहुविधैर्बद्धां प्लवनार्थं जले नृप। अजिनैर्मृदुभिश्चैवं संस्तीर्णशयनां तथा
A chest was swiftly constructed by craftsmen, well-secured and firmly set; bound with many kinds of floats for drifting on water, O king, and lined with soft skins to serve as a bed.
मञ्जूषायां समाधाय स्वास्तीर्णायां समन्ततः। मधूच्चिष्टस्थितायां तं सुखायां रुदती तथा। श्लक्ष्णायां सुपिधानायामश्वनद्यामवासृजत्
Placing the child in the chest, well-cushioned all around, with honey smeared inside for comfort, and weeping, she sealed it tightly and set it afloat on the river Ashvanadi.
जानती चाप्यकर्तव्यं कन्याया गर्भधारणम्। पुत्रस्नेहेन सा राजन्करुणं पर्यदेवयत्
Knowing that it was improper for a maiden to bear a child, yet out of affection for her son, she lamented sorrowfully, O king.
समुत्सृजन्ती मञ्जूपामश्वनद्यां तदा जले। उवाच रुदतीकुन्ती यानि वाक्यानि तच्छृणु
As she released the chest into the waters of the Ashvanadi, Kunti, weeping, spoke these words; listen to them.
स्वस्ति तेऽस्त्वान्तरिक्षेभ्यः पार्थिवेभ्यश्च पुत्रक। दिव्येभ्यश्चैव भूतेभ्यस्तथा तोयचराश्च ये
May blessings be upon you, child, from the beings of the sky, the earth, and the divine ones, and from those who dwell in the waters.
शिवास्ते सन्तु पन्थानो मा च ते परिपन्थिनः। आगताश्च तथा पुत्र भवन्त्यद्रोहचेतसः
May your paths be auspicious, and may you have no obstacles; and may those who approach you, child, be free from malice.
पातु त्वां वरुणो राजा सलिले सलिलेश्वरः। अन्तरिक्षेऽन्तरिक्षस्थः पवनः सर्वगस्तथा
May Varuna, the king and lord of the waters, protect you in the water; and in the sky, may the wind, who pervades all, guard you.
पिता त्वां पातु सर्वत्र तपनस्तपतांवरः। येन दत्तोसि मे पुत्र दिव्येन विधिना किल
May your father, the sun, protector among those who burn, shield you everywhere; for you were granted to me, child, by a divine ordinance.
आदित्या वसवो रुद्राः साध्या विश्वे च देवताः। मरुतश्च सहेन्द्रेण दिशश्च सदिदीश्वराः
May the Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Sadhyas, all the gods, the Maruts with Indra, and the guardians of the directions protect you.
रक्षन्तु त्वां सुराः सर्वे समेषु विषमेषु च। वेत्स्यामि त्वांविदेशेपि कवचेनाभिसूचितम्
May all the gods guard you, both in level and uneven places; I will recognize you, even in a foreign land, by the armor that marks you.
धन्यस्ते पुत्र जनरको देवो भानुर्विभावसुः। स्त्वां द्रक्ष्यति दिव्येन चक्षुषा वाहिनीगतम्
Blessed is the guardian who will see you, child, as the god Bhanu, the radiant sun, beholds you with divine vision among the troops.
धन्या सा प्रमदा या त्वां पुत्रत्वे कल्पयिष्यति। यस्यास्त्वं तृषितः पुत्र स्तनं पास्यसि देवज
Blessed is the woman who will accept you as her son; whose breast you, O divine-born child, will suck when thirsty.
कोनु स्वप्नस्तया दृष्टो या त्वामादित्यवर्चसम्। दिव्यवर्मसमायुक्तं दिव्यकृण्डलभूषितम्
What dream did she see, who will behold you, radiant as the sun, adorned with divine armor and celestial earrings?
पद्मायतविशालाक्षं पद्मताम्रदलोज्ज्वलम्। सुललाटं सुकेशान्तं पुत्रत्वे कल्पयिष्यति
Who will accept you as her son, with wide lotus-like eyes, shining coppery lotus petals, a beautiful forehead, and lovely hair?
धन्या द्रक्ष्यन्ति पुत्र त्वां भूमौ संसर्पमाणकम्। अव्यक्तकलवाक्यानि वदन्तं रेणुगुण्ठितम्
Blessed are those who will see you, child, crawling upon the earth, uttering indistinct words, covered in dust.
धन्या द्रक्ष्यन्ति पुत्र त्वां पुनर्यौवनगोचरम्। हिमवद्वनसंभूतं सिंहं केसरिणं यथा
Fortunate indeed are those, my son, who will see you again in the vigor of youth, like a lion born in the Himalayan forest.
एवं बहुविधं राजन्विलप्य करुणं पृथा। अवामृजतमज्जूषामश्वनद्यां तदा जले
Thus, O King, Kunti lamented in many ways with sorrow, and then washed herself with water from the Ashvanadi river.
रुदती पुत्रशोकार्ता निशीथे कमलेक्षणा। धात्र्या सह पृथा राजन्पुत्रदर्शनलालसा
Weeping, tormented by grief for her son, with lotus-like eyes, Kunti, longing to see her child, stayed with her nurse through the night.
विसर्जयित्वा मञ्जूषां संबोधनभयात्पितुः। विवेश राजभवनं पुनः शोकातुरा ततः
Fearing her father's discovery, she released the box, and then, overwhelmed by sorrow, re-entered the royal palace.
मञ्जूषा त्वश्वनद्याः सा ययौ चर्मयण्वतीं नदीम्। चर्मण्वत्याश्चयमुनां ततो गङ्गां जगाम ह
That box floated from the Ashvanadi to the river Charmavati, and from the Charmavati to the Yamuna, and then reached the Ganga.
गङ्गायाः सूतविषयं चम्पामनुययौ पुरीम्। स मञ्जूषागतो गर्भस्तरङ्गैरुह्यमानकः
From the Ganga, it drifted to the land of charioteers, reaching the city of Champa, carried along by the waves with the child inside.
अमृतादुत्थितं दिव्यं तनुवर्म सकुण्डलम्। धारयामास तं गर्भं दैवं च विधिनिर्मितम्
Within was a divine child, adorned with armor and earrings, as if arisen from nectar, fashioned by destiny and ordained by fate.
एतद्गुह्यं महाराज सूर्यस्यासीन्महात्मनः। स सूर्यसंभवो गर्भः कुन्त्या गर्भेण धारितः
This secret, O great king, belonged to the illustrious Sun; that child, born of Surya, was carried in Kunti's womb.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु धृतराष्ट्रस्य वै सखा। सूतोऽधिरथ इत्येव सदारो जाह्नवीं ययौ
At that very time, O King, Dhritarashtra's friend, the charioteer named Adhiratha, together with his wife, went to the Ganga.
तस्य भार्याऽभवद्राजन्रूपेणासदृशी भुवि। राधा नाम महाभागा न सा पुत्रमविन्दत। अपत्यार्थे परं यत्नमकरोच्च विशेषतः
His wife, O King, was unmatched in beauty on earth; her name was Radha, highly blessed, but she had no child, though she made every effort for offspring.
सा ददर्शाथ मञ्जूषामुह्यमानां यदृच्छया। दत्तरक्षाप्रतिसरामन्वालम्भनशोभनाम्
By chance, she saw a box being carried along, adorned with a protective amulet and a beautiful handle.
ऊर्मीतरङ्गैर्जाह्नव्याः समानीतामुपह्वरम्। `विवर्तमानां बहुशः पुनःपुनरितस्ततः
Borne by the waves and currents of the Ganga, it was tossed repeatedly here and there, and brought to the riverbank.