धर्मपत्नी तवात्यन्तं भवामि नृपसत्तम । चिन्तितोऽसि मया पूर्वं त्वयाहं नात्र संशयः
O foremost of kings, I shall become your lawful wife completely; I have desired you before, and there is no doubt about this.
शाल्व उवाच गृहीता त्वं वरारोहे भीष्मेण पश्यतो मम । रथे संस्थापिता तेन न ग्रहीष्ये करं तव
Śālva said: You, O beautiful one, were seized by Bhīṣma before my very eyes; he placed you upon his chariot, so I will not take your hand.
परोच्छिष्टां च कः कन्यां गृह्णाति मतिमान्नरः । अतोऽहं न ग्रहीष्यामि त्यक्तां भीष्मेण मातृवत्
Who, possessing wisdom, accepts a maiden who has been touched by another? Therefore, I will not accept one abandoned by Bhīṣma, as if she were my mother.
रुदती विलपन्ती सा त्यक्ता तेन महात्मना । पुनर्भीष्मं समागत्य रुदती चेदमब्रवीत्
She, weeping and lamenting, was forsaken by that great-souled one; again approaching Bhīṣma, she spoke these words while crying.
शाल्वो मुक्तां त्वया वीर न गृह्णाति गृहाण माम् । धर्मज्ञोऽसि महाभाग मरिष्याम्यन्यथा ह्यहम्
Śālva will not accept me, O hero, since you have released me; accept me yourself, you who know righteousness, O fortunate one, otherwise I shall die.
भीष्म उवाच अन्यचित्तां कथं त्वां वै गृह्णामि वरवर्णिनि । पितरं स्वं वरारोहे व्रज शीघ्नं निराकुला
Bhīṣma said: How can I accept you, O beautiful one, when your mind is set on another? Go swiftly to your father, O lovely one, without distress.
तथोक्ता सा तु भीष्मेण जगाम वनमेव हि । तपश्चकार विजने तीर्थे परमपावने
Thus addressed by Bhīṣma, she went to the forest; she performed austerities in solitude at a supremely pure holy place.
द्वे भार्ये चातिरूपाढ्ये तस्य राज्ञो बभूवतुः । अम्बालिका चाम्बिका च काशिराजसुते शुभे
That king had two wives, both exceedingly beautiful: Ambālikā and Ambikā, the auspicious daughters of the king of Kāśī.
राजा विचित्रवीर्योऽसौ ताभ्यां सह महाबलः । रेमे नानाविहारैश्च गृहे चोपवने तथा
King Vicitravīrya, mighty in strength, enjoyed himself with them in various amusements, both in the house and in the gardens.
वर्षाणि नव राजेन्द्रः कुर्वन् क्रीडा मनोरमाम् । प्रापासौ मरणं भूयो गृहीतो राजयक्ष्मणा
The king spent nine years, O ruler, engaging in delightful play; then he died, having been afflicted by royal consumption.
मृते पुत्रेऽतिदुःखार्ता जाता सत्यवती तदा । कारयामास पुत्रस्य प्रेतकार्याणि मन्त्रिभिः
When her son died, Satyavatī was overwhelmed with grief; she had the funeral rites for her son performed by the ministers.
भीष्ममाह तदैकान्ते वचनं चातिदुःखिता । राज्यं कुरु महाभाग पितुस्ते शन्तनोः सुत
In solitude, Bhīṣma was addressed by her, greatly distressed: 'Take up the kingdom, O fortunate one, you are the son of Śantanu, your father.'
भ्रातुर्भार्यां गृहाण त्वं वंशञ्च परिरक्षय । यथा न नाशमायाति ययातेर्वंश इत्युत
'Take your brother's wife and preserve the lineage, so that the dynasty does not perish, just as the lineage of Yayāti was preserved.'
भीष्म उवाच प्रतिज्ञा मे श्रुता मातः पित्रर्थे या मया कृता । नाहं राज्यं करिष्यामि न चाहं दारसंग्रहम्
Bhīṣma said: 'Mother, you have heard the vow I made for my father; I will not rule the kingdom, nor will I take a wife.'
सूत उवाच तदा चिन्तातुरा जाता कथं वंशो भवेदिति । नालसाद्धि सुखं मह्यं समुत्पन्ने ह्यराजके
The charioteer said: At that time, she became anxious, wondering how the lineage would continue; happiness was not possible for me when the kingdom was without a ruler.
गाङ्गेयस्तामुवाचेदं मा चिन्तां कुरु भामिनि । पुत्रं विचित्रवीर्यस्य क्षेत्रजं चोपपादय
Gāṅgeya said to her: 'Do not worry, O beautiful one; produce a son for Vicitravīrya by means of a kṣetraja.'
कुलीनं द्विजमाहूय वध्वा सह नियोजय । नात्र दोषोऽस्ति वेदेऽपि कुलरक्षाविधौ किल
Call a noble Brahmin and appoint him together with the wives; there is no fault in this, even according to the Vedas, for the protection of the lineage.
पौत्रं चैवं समुत्पाद्य राज्यं देहि शुचिस्मिते । अहं च पालयिष्यामि तस्य शासनमेव हि
Thus producing a grandson, grant him the kingdom, O pure-smiling one; I will indeed govern according to his command.
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य कानीनं स्वसुतं मुनिम् । जगाम मनसा व्यासं द्वैपायनमकल्मषम्
Hearing his words, she thought in her mind of her own son, the sage Vyāsa, the sinless son of Kānīna.
स्मृतमात्रस्ततो व्यास आजगाम स तापसः । कृत्वा प्रणामं मात्रेऽथ संस्थितो दीप्तिमान्मुनिः
As soon as she remembered, Vyāsa, that ascetic, came; after bowing to his mother, the radiant sage stood there.
भीष्मेण पूजितः कामं सत्यवत्या च मानितः । तस्थौ तत्र महातेजा विधूमोऽग्निरिवापरः
Honored by Bhīṣma and duly respected by Satyavatī, that great and radiant sage stood there like a smokeless fire.
तमुवाच मुनिं माता पुत्रमुत्पादयाधुना । क्षेत्रे विचित्रवीर्यस्य सुन्दरं तव वीर्यजम्
His mother said to the sage, 'Now beget a son, beautiful and born of your energy, in the field of Vicitravīrya.'
व्यासः श्रुत्वा वचो मातुराप्तवाक्यममन्यत । ओमित्युक्त्वा स्थितस्तत्र ऋतुकालमचिन्तयत्
Vyāsa, hearing his mother's words, considered her command; saying 'Om,' he stood there, reflecting on the proper time.
अम्बिका च यदा स्नाता नारी ऋतुमती तदा । सङ्गं प्राप्य मुनेः पुत्रमसूतान्धं महाबलम्
When Ambikā, having bathed and being in her season, united with the sage, she bore a mighty son who was blind from birth.
जन्मान्धं च सुतं वीक्ष्य दुःखिता सत्यवत्यपि । द्वितीयां च वधूमाह पुत्रमुत्पादयाशु वै
Seeing her son born blind, even Satyavatī was distressed; she told the second bride, 'Quickly beget a son.'
ऋतुकालेऽथ सम्प्राप्ते व्यासेन सह सङ्गता । तथा चाम्बालिका रात्रौ गर्भं नारी दधार सा
When her season came, Ambālikā united with Vyāsa at night, and that woman conceived.
सोऽपि पाण्डुः सुतो जातो राज्ययोग्यो न सम्मतः । पुत्रार्थे प्रेरयामास वर्षान्ते च पुनर्वधूम्
That son, Pāṇḍu, was born, fit for kingship but not accepted; for the sake of a son, she again sent the bride at the year's end.
आहूय च ततो व्यासं सम्प्रार्थ्य मुनिसत्तमम् । प्रेषयामास रात्रौ सा शयनागारमुत्तमम्
Then, summoning Vyāsa and earnestly requesting the best of sages, she sent her at night to the finest bedchamber.
न गता च वधूस्तत्र प्रेष्या सम्प्रेषिता तया । तस्यां च विदुरो जातो दास्यां धर्मांशतः शुभः
But the bride did not go; instead, a maidservant was sent by her, and from that maid, Vidura was born, righteous and virtuous.
एवं व्यासेन ते पुत्रा धृतराष्ट्रादयस्त्रयः । उत्पादिता महावीरा वंशरक्षणहेतवे
Thus, by Vyāsa, those three sons—Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the others—were begotten, great heroes for the protection of the lineage.