आक्रीडभूमिं देवानां गन्धर्वाप्सरसां तथा। उद्यानानि कुबेरस्य समानि विषमाणि च
There are playgrounds of the gods, Gandharvas, and Apsaras, and gardens of Kubera, both level and uneven.
महानदीनितम्बांश्च गहनान्गिरिगह्वरान्। सन्ति नित्यहिमा देशा निर्वृक्षमृगपक्षिणः
There are great river valleys and dense mountain caves; regions perpetually snowy, devoid of trees, beasts, and birds.
सन्ति क्वचिन्महादर्यो दुर्गाः काश्चिद्दुरासदाः। नातिक्रामेत पक्षी यान्कुत एवेतरे मृगाः
In some places there are vast deserts, and certain impassable strongholds; not even a bird can cross them, much less other creatures.
वायुरेको हि यात्यत्र सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः। गच्छन्त्यौ शैलराजेऽस्मिन्राजपुत्र्यौ कथं न्विमे
Only the wind passes here, and perfected ones and eminent sages; how, then, O prince, will your wives traverse this king of mountains?
अप्रजस्य महाभागा न द्वारं परिचक्षते
O blessed one, for the childless, no gateway is recognized.
स्वर्गे तेनाभितप्तोऽहमप्रजस्तु ब्रवीमि वः। सोऽहमुग्रेण तपसा सभार्यस्त्यक्तजीवितः
Because of this, I am tormented regarding heaven; being childless, I speak to you: I, together with my wife, will undertake fierce austerity, ready to give up my life.
अनपत्योऽपि विन्देयं स्वर्गमुग्रेण कर्मणा
Even without offspring, I may attain heaven through severe deeds.
अपत्यमनघं राजन्वयं दिव्येन चक्षुषा। दैवोद्दिष्टं नरव्याघ्र कर्मणेहोपपादय
O king, with divine sight, see a faultless child, a lineage destined by fate; O tiger among men, bring it about through action.
अक्लिष्टं फलमव्यग्रो विन्दते बुद्धिमान्नरः। तस्मिन्दृष्टे फले राजन्प्रयत्नं कर्तुमर्हसि
A wise man, undisturbed, obtains untainted fruit; seeing such a result, O king, you ought to make effort.
तच्छ्रुत्वा तापसवचः पाण्डुस्चिन्तापरोऽभवत्
Hearing those words of the ascetic, Pandu became absorbed in thought.
आत्मनो मृगशापेन जानन्नुपहतां क्रियाम्
Knowing that his own rites were hindered by the curse of the deer, he reflected.
अथ पारसवीं कन्यां देवकस्य महीपतेः। रूपयौवनसंपन्नां स सुश्रावापगासुतः
Then the son of the river heard of the maiden of Parashara, daughter of King Devaka, endowed with beauty and youth.
ततस्तु वरयित्वा तामानीय भरतर्षभः। विवाहं कारयामास विदुरस्य महामतेः
Then, having chosen her, the bull among the Bharatas brought her and arranged the marriage for Vidura, the wise one.
तस्यां चोत्पादयामास विदुरः कुरुनन्दन। पुत्रान्विनयसंपन्नानात्मनः सदृशान्गुणैः
And in her, Vidura, joy of the Kurus, begot sons endowed with good conduct and virtues like his own.
ततः पुत्रशतं जज्ञे गान्धार्या जनमेजय। धृतराष्ट्रस्य वैश्यायामेकश्चापि शतात्परः
Then, O Janamejaya, a hundred sons were born to Gandhari, and one more, surpassing the hundred, was born to Dhritarashtra by a Vaishya woman.
पाण्डोः कृन्त्यां च माद्र्यां च पुत्राः पञ्च महारथाः। देवेभ्यः समपद्यन्त सन्तानाय कुलस्य वै
And to Pandu, from Kunti and Madri, five mighty sons were born, equal to the gods, for the continuation of the lineage.
कथं पुत्रशतं जज्ञे गान्धार्यां द्विजसत्तम। कियता चैव कालेन तेषामायुश्च किं परम्
How was a hundred sons born to Gandhari, O best of twice-born? In how much time, and what was their highest lifespan?
कथं चैकः स वैश्यायां धृतराष्ट्रसुतोऽभवत्। कथं च सदृशीं भार्यां गान्धारीं धर्मचारिणीम्
And how was one son born to Dhritarashtra by a Vaishya woman? And how did Gandhari, the virtuous wife, obtain a suitable husband?
आनुकूल्ये वर्तमानां धृतराष्ट्रोऽत्यवर्तत। कथं च शप्तस्य सतः पाण्डोस्तेन महात्मना
How did Dhritarashtra behave toward Gandhari, who acted with devotion? And how did the great-souled Pandu, though cursed, have sons from the gods?
समुत्पन्ना दैवतेभ्यः पुत्राः पञ्च महारथाः। एतद्विद्वन्यथान्यायं विस्तरेण तपोधन
How were five mighty sons born from the gods? O learned one, tell me all this in detail, O possessor of austerity.
ऋषिं बुभुक्षितं श्रान्तं द्वैपायनमुपस्थितम्
The sage Dvaipayana, weary and hungry, arrived.
तोषयामास गान्धारी व्यासस्तस्यै वरं ददौ। सा वव्रे सदृशं भर्तुः पुत्राणां शतमात्मनः
Gandhari pleased him, and Vyasa granted her a boon; she chose for herself a hundred sons, equal to her husband.
ततः कालेन सा गर्भमगृह्णाज्ज्ञानचक्षुषः
Then, in due course, she conceived a child endowed with spiritual vision.
गान्धार्यामाहिते गर्भे पाण्डुरम्बालिकासुतः। अगच्छत्परमं दुःखमपत्यार्थमरिन्दम
While Gandhari bore her pregnancy, the son of Pandu and Ambalika, scorcher of foes, fell into great distress, longing for offspring.
गर्भिण्यामथ गान्धार्यां पाण्डुः परमदुःखितः। मृगाभिशापादात्मानं शोचन्नुपरतक्रियः
As Gandhari was pregnant, Pandu, overwhelmed by sorrow, ceased all duties, lamenting himself because of the curse of the deer.
स गत्वा तपसा सिद्धिं विश्वामित्रो यथा भुवि। देहान्यासे कृतमना इदं वचनमब्रवीत्
He, having attained perfection through austerity like Vishvamitra on earth, fixed his mind on relinquishing the body and spoke these words:
चतुर्भिर्ऋणवानित्थं जायते मनुजो भुवि। पितृदेवमनुष्याणामृषीणामथ भामिनि
A human being is born on earth with four debts, O beautiful one: to the ancestors, the gods, humans, and the sages.
एतेभ्यस्तु यथाकालं यो न मुच्येत धर्मवित्। न तस्य लोकाः सन्तीति तता लोकविदो विदुः
If one who knows righteousness does not free himself from these at the proper time, he gains no worlds—so say those learned in the worlds.
यज्ञेन देवान्प्रीणाति स्वाध्यायात्तपसा ऋषीन्। पुत्रैः श्राद्धैरपि पितॄनानृशंस्येन मानवान्
By sacrifice he pleases the gods, by study and austerity the sages, by sons and offerings to ancestors, and by compassion, mankind.
ऋषिदेवमनुष्याणामृणान्मुक्तोऽस्मि धर्मतः। पितॄणां तु न मुक्तोऽस्मि तच्च तेभ्यो विशिष्यते
By righteousness I am freed from the debts to sages, gods, and men; but I am not freed from the debt to the ancestors, and that is considered the highest.