तातेपि हि गते स्वर्गं विनष्टे च ममानुजे। पिण्डः पितॄणां व्युच्छिद्येत्तत्तेषां विप्रियं भवेत्
If you go to heaven, father, and my younger brother is lost, the ancestral offering will be interrupted, which would be displeasing to the ancestors.
पित्रा त्यक्ता तथा मात्रा भ्रात्रा चाहमसंशयम्। दुःखाद्दुःखतरं प्राप्य म्रियेयमतथोचिताम्
Abandoned by father, mother, and brother, I would surely, after suffering even greater sorrow, die an end unfit for me.
त्वयि त्वरोगे निर्मुक्तो माता भ्राता च मे शिशुः। सन्तानश्चैव पिण्डश्च प्रतिष्ठास्यत्यसंशयम्
If you are freed from this illness, my mother and my young brother, as well as the lineage and the ancestral offering, will surely be preserved.
आत्मा पुत्रः सखी भार्या कृच्छ्रं तु दुहिता किल। स कृच्छ्रान्मोचयात्मानं मां च धर्मे नियोजया
The son is the self, the friend, the wife; but the daughter, it is said, is for hardship. Free yourself from this distress, and appoint me to righteousness.
अनाथा कृपणा बाला यत्र क्वचन गामिनी। भविष्यामि त्वया तात विहीना कृपणा सदा
Deprived of you, father, I shall always be pitiable—a helpless, wretched girl, wandering wherever fate leads.
अथवाहं करिष्यामि कुलस्यास्य विमोचनम्। फलसंस्था भविष्यामि कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम्
Or else, I myself shall bring deliverance to this family; I will take up the ascetic life, having performed a most difficult deed.
अथवा यास्यसे तत्र त्यक्त्वा मां द्विजसत्तम। पीडिताऽहं भविष्यामि तदवेक्षस्व मामपि
Or, if you go there, abandoning me, O best of twice-born, I will be afflicted—consider me also in this matter.
तदस्मदर्थं धर्मार्थं प्रसवार्थं च सत्तम। आत्मानं परिरक्षस्व त्यक्तव्यां मां च संत्यज
Therefore, for my sake, for the sake of righteousness, and for the sake of progeny, O noble one, protect yourself and abandon me, who must be forsaken.
अवश्यकरणीये च मा त्वां कालोत्यगादयम्। किं त्वतः परमं दुःखं यद्वयं स्वर्गते त्वयि
In what must necessarily be done, let not time overtake you; but what could be more painful for us than that, with you gone to heaven—
याचमानाः परादन्नं परिधावेमहि श्ववत्। त्वयि त्वरोगे निर्मुक्ते क्लेशादस्मात्सबान्धवे। अमृतेव सती लोके भविष्यामि सुखान्विता
—we, begging for food from others, would have to wear the leavings like dogs, while you, free from disease and suffering, are released from this distress with your kin; I, like a widow, would remain in the world, deprived of happiness.
इतः प्रदाने देवाश्च पितरश्चेति नः श्रुतम्। त्वया दत्तेन तोयेन भविष्यति हिताय वै
It is heard among us that, in this offering, the gods and ancestors are satisfied; by the water you give, there will indeed be benefit.
इत्येतदुभयं तात निशाम्य तव यद्धितम्। तद्व्यवस्य तथाम्बाया हितं स्वस्य सुतस्य च
Thus, having heard both sides, dear one, do what is for your good; so decide what is beneficial for your mother, yourself, and your son.
मातापित्रोश्च पुत्रास्तु भवितारो गुणान्विताः। न तु पुत्रस्य पितरो पुनर्जातु भविष्यतः
Sons will be born to mother and father, endowed with virtues; but parents will never again be born to a son.
एवं बहुविधं तस्या निशम्य परिदेवितम्। पिता माता च सा चैव कन्या प्ररुरुदुस्त्रयः
Hearing her many lamentations in this way, the father, the mother, and the maiden herself—all three began to weep.
ततः प्ररुदितान्सर्वान्निशम्याथ सुतस्तदा। उत्फुल्लनयनो बालः कलमव्यक्तमब्रवीत्
Then, hearing all of them weeping, the boy, his eyes wide with wonder, spoke indistinct words in a childish voice.
मा पिता रुद मा मातर्मा स्वसस्त्विति चाब्रवीत्। प्रहसन्निव सर्वांस्तानेकैकमनुसर्पति
"Do not weep, father; do not weep, mother; do not weep, sister," he said, smiling as if in play, addressing each one in turn.
ततः स तृणमादाय प्रहृष्टः पुनरब्रवीत्। अनेनाहं हनिष्यामि राक्षसं पुरुषादकम्
Then, taking a blade of grass, delighted, he said again, "With this I will slay the man-eating rakshasa."
तथापि तेषां दुःखेन परीतानां निशम्य तत्। बालस्य वाक्यमव्यक्तं हर्षः समभवन्महान्
Yet, hearing the indistinct words of the boy, those overwhelmed by grief felt a great joy.
अयं काल इति ज्ञात्वा कुन्ती समुपसृत्य तान्। गतासूनमृतेनेव जीवयन्तीदमब्रवीत्
Recognizing that this was the time, Kunti approached them and, as if reviving the lifeless with nectar, spoke these words:
कुतोमूलमिदं दुःखं ज्ञातुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः। विदित्वाप्यपकर्षेयं शक्यं चेदपकर्षितुम्
From where does this suffering arise? I wish to know the truth; for, knowing it, I might remove it, if it is possible to remove.
उपपन्नं सतामेतद्यद्ब्रवीपि तपोधने। न तु दुःखमिदं शक्यं मानुषेण व्यपोहितुम्
What you say, O ascetic, is fitting for the virtuous; but this suffering cannot be dispelled by a human being.
तथापि तत्त्वमाख्यास्ये दुःखस्यैतस्य संभवम्। शक्यं वा यदि वाऽशक्यं शृणु भद्रे यथातथम्
Still, I will tell you the truth of the origin of this suffering, whether it can be remedied or not; listen, good lady, as it truly is.
समीपे नगरस्यास्य वको वसति राक्षसः। इतो गव्यूतिमात्रे।ञस्ति यमुनागह्वरे गुहा
Near this city dwells a rakshasa named Vaka; at a distance of a cow's walk from here, in a cave by the Yamuna, he resides.
तस्यां घोरः स वसति जिघांसुः पुरुषादकः। बकाभिधानो दुष्टात्मा राक्षसानां कुलाधमः
In that cave dwells that terrible, man-eating rakshasa, named Baka, wicked in soul, the lowest of the rakshasa race.
ईशो जनपदस्यास्य पुरस्य च महाबलः। पुष्टो मानुषमांसेन दुर्बुद्धिः पुरुषादकः
He is the lord of this land and of the city, mighty in strength, nourished by human flesh, evil-minded, a man-eater.
प्रबलः कामरूपी च राक्षसस्तु महाबलः। तेनोपसृष्टा नगरी वर्षमद्य त्रयोदशम्
That powerful rakshasa, able to assume any form at will, has beset the city, and now thirteen years have passed.
तत्कृते परचक्राच्च भूतेभ्यश्च न नो भयम्। पुरुषादेन रौद्रेण भक्ष्यमाणा दुरात्मना
Because of him, we have no fear from foreign armies or spirits; it is this cruel, wicked man-eater who devours us.
अनाथा नगरी नाथं त्रातारं नाधिगच्छति। गुहायां च वसंस्तत्र बाधते सततं जनम्
The city, bereft of a protector, finds no savior; and he, dwelling in a cave, constantly torments the people there.
स्त्रियो बालांश्च वृद्धांश्च यूनश्चापि दुरात्मवान्। अत्र मन्त्रैश्च होमैश्च भोजनैश्च स राक्षसः
That evil-minded rakshasa seizes women, children, the old, and the young; here, with rituals, offerings, and food—
ईडितो द्विजमुख्यैश्च पूजितश्च दुरात्मवान्। यदा च सकलानेवं प्रसूदयति राक्षसः
He is invoked and worshipped by the foremost brahmins, yet whenever the rakshasa desires, he slaughters them all.