कामिनी तं मुनिं प्राह मृदुपूर्वमिदं वचः । कन्याहं द्विजशार्दूल भुक्त्वा गन्तासि कामतः
The maiden gently spoke these words to the sage: 'I am a virgin, O foremost of Brāhmaṇas; after enjoying me as you wish, you will depart.'
अमोघवीर्यस्त्वं ब्रह्मन् का गतिर्मे भवेदिति । पितरं किं ब्रवीम्यद्य सगर्भा चेद्भवाम्यहम्
'O Brāhmaṇa, your potency is unfailing—what will become of me? What shall I say to my father if I become pregnant?'
त्वं गमिष्यसि भुक्त्वा मां किं करोमि वदस्व तत् । पराशर उवाच कान्तेऽद्य मत्प्रियं कृत्वा कन्यैव त्वं भविष्यसि
You will depart after enjoying me; tell me, what should I do then?
वृणीष्व च वरं भीरु यं त्वमिच्छसि भामिनि । सत्यवत्युवाच यथा मे पितरौ लोके न जानीतो हि मानद
Choose a boon, O timid one, whichever you desire, O beautiful lady.
कन्याव्रतं न मे हन्यात्तथा कुरु द्विजोत्तम । पुत्रश्च त्वत्समः कामं भवेदद्भुतवीर्यवान्
Let my vow of maidenhood not be broken; grant this, O best of twice-born. May my son be equal to you, possessing wondrous strength.
गन्धोऽयं सर्वदा मे स्याद्यौवनं च नवं नवम् । पराशर उवाच शृणु सुन्दरि पुत्रस्ते विष्ण्वंशसम्भवः शुचिः
May this fragrance always remain with me, and my youth be ever fresh and renewed.
भविष्यति च विख्यातस्त्रैलोक्ये वरवर्णिनि । केनचित्कारणेनाहं जातः कामातुरस्त्वयि
Listen, O beautiful one: your son, born of the lineage of Vishnu, will be pure and renowned throughout the three worlds.
कदापि च न सम्मोहो भूतपूर्वो वरानने । दृष्ट्वा चाप्सरसां रूपं सदाहं धैर्यमावहम्
For some reason, I have become infatuated with you; never before, O lovely-faced one, have I lost composure, even upon seeing the forms of apsaras.
दैवयोगेन वीक्ष्य त्वां कामस्य वशगोऽभवम् । तत्किञ्चित्कारणं विद्धि दैवं हि दुरतिक्रमम्
By divine arrangement, seeing you, I became subject to desire; know that this is due to some cause, for destiny is hard to overcome.
दृष्ट्वाहं चातिदुर्गन्धां त्वां कथं मोहमाप्नुयाम् । पुराणकर्ता पुत्रस्ते भविष्यति वरानने
Seeing you, who were once of very unpleasant scent, how could I have become deluded? Your son, O beautiful one, will be the composer of the Purāṇas.
वेदविद्भागकर्ता च ख्यातश्च भुवनत्रये । सूत उवाच इत्युक्त्वा तां वशं यातां भुक्त्वा स मुनिसत्तमः
He will be a knower of the Vedas, a divider of their branches, and famed throughout the three worlds.
जगाम तरसा स्नात्वा कालिन्दीसलिले मुनिः । सापि सत्यवती जाता सद्यो गर्भवती सती
Having spoken thus, the best of sages, after enjoying her, departed swiftly, bathing in the waters of the Kālindī.
सुषुवे यमुनाद्वीपे पुत्रं काममिवापरम् । जातमात्रस्तु तेजस्वी तामुवाच स्वमातरम्
Satyavatī immediately became pregnant, and on the island in the Yamunā, she gave birth to a son, as if another embodiment of desire.
तपस्येव मनः कृत्वा विविशे चातिवीर्यवान् । गच्छ मातर्यथाकामं गच्छाम्यहमतः परम्
As soon as he was born, the radiant child addressed his mother, having set his mind on asceticism.
तपः कर्तुं महाभागे दर्शयिष्यामि वै स्मृतः । मातर्यदा भवेत्कार्यं तव किञ्चिदनुत्तमम्
Go, mother, as you wish; I will now depart to perform austerities. Whenever you have some important need, remember me, and I will appear.
स्मर्तव्योऽहं तदा शीघ्रमागमिष्यामि भामिनि । स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु गमिष्यामि त्यक्त्वा चिन्तां सुखं वस
At that time, O beautiful one, recall me, and I will come swiftly. Farewell to you; I depart. Abandon worry and live happily.
इत्युक्त्वा निर्ययौ व्यासः सापि पित्रन्तिकं गता । द्वीपे न्यस्तस्तया बालस्तस्माद्द्वैपायनोऽभवत्
Having spoken thus, Vyāsa departed, and she went to her father's presence. Because the child was placed on the island, he became known as Dvaipāyana.
जातमात्रो जगामाशु वृद्धिं विष्ण्वंशयोगतः । तीर्थे तीर्थे कृतस्तानश्चचार तप उत्तमम्
Immediately upon birth, he grew rapidly, due to the power of Vishnu's lineage. He performed supreme austerities at various sacred places.
एवं द्वैपायनो जज्ञे सत्यवत्यां पराशरात् । चकार वेदशाखाश्च प्राप्तं ज्ञात्वा कलेर्युगम्
Thus, Dvaipāyana was born from Parāśara and Satyavatī. He arranged the branches of the Vedas, knowing the arrival of the Kali age.
वेदविस्तारकरणाद्व्यासनामाभवन्मुनिः । पुराणसंहिताश्चक्रे महाभारतमुत्तमम्
Because he expanded the Vedas, the sage became known as Vyāsa. He composed the Purāṇas and the great Mahābhārata.
शिष्यानध्यापयामास वेदान्कृत्वा विभागशः । सुमन्तुं जैमिनिं पैलं वैशम्पायनमेव च
He taught the Vedas to his disciples, dividing them accordingly: Sumantu, Jaimini, Paila, and also Vaishampayana.
असितं देवलं चैव शुकं चैव स्वमात्मजम् । सूत उवाच एतच्च कथितं सर्वं कारणं मुनिसत्तमाः
And also Asita, Devala, and his own son Shuka; thus spoke Sūta: All this, O best of sages, has been told as the reason.
सत्यवत्याः सुतस्यापि समुत्पत्तिस्तथा शुभा । संशयोऽत्र न कर्तव्यः सम्भवे मुनिसत्तमाः
The auspicious birth of Satyavati's son has likewise been described; O best of sages, there should be no doubt about his origin.
महतां चरिते चैव गुणा ग्राह्या मुनेरिति । कारणाच्च समुत्पत्तिः सत्यवत्या झषोदरे
In the lives of the great, only virtues should be accepted, O sage; and for this reason, Satyavati's birth from the belly of a fish occurred.
पराशरेण संयोगः पुनः शन्तनुना तथा । अन्यथा तु मुनेश्चित्तं कथं कामाकुलं भवेत्
Her union with Parashara, and later with Shantanu, happened thus; otherwise, how could a sage's mind become overwhelmed by desire?
अनार्यजुष्टं धर्मज्ञः कृतवान्स कथं मुनिः । सकारणेयमुत्पत्तिः कथिताश्चर्यकारिणी
How could that sage, knower of dharma, have acted in a way unworthy of the noble? This birth, with its cause, has been told—truly a wondrous event.
श्रुत्वा पापाच्च निर्मुक्तो नरो भवति सर्वथा । य एतच्छुभमाख्यानं शृणोति श्रुतिमान्नरः
Whoever hears this auspicious account, being attentive, is completely freed from sin.
न दुर्गतिमवाप्नोति सुखी भवति सर्वदा
He does not fall into misfortune and is always happy.
प्रतीपसकाशाच्छन्तनुजन्मादिवर्णनम् उत्पत्तिस्तु त्वया प्रोक्ता व्यासस्यामिततेजसः
The account of Shantanu's birth from Pratipa is now described; you have already told of the origin of Vyasa, of immeasurable splendor.
तथाऽप्येकस्तु संदेहश्चित्तेऽस्माकं सुसंस्थितः
Yet, even so, one doubt remains firmly in our minds.