धिक् तं सुतं यः पितुरीप्सितार्थं क्षमोऽपि सन्न प्रतिपादयेद्यः । जातेन किं तेन सुतेन कामं पितुर्न चिन्तां हि समुद्धरेद्यः
Shame upon that son who, though capable, does not fulfill his father's desired purpose; what use is there in such a son, who, though born, does not relieve his father's anxiety?
सूत उवाच निशम्येति वचस्तस्य पुत्रस्य शन्तनुर्नृपः । लज्जमानस्तु मनसा तमाह त्वरितं सुतम्
Sūta said: Hearing these words of his son, King Śantanu, feeling embarrassed in his heart, quickly addressed him.
राजोवाच चिन्ता मे महती पुत्र यस्त्वमेकोऽसि मे सुतः । शूरोऽतिबलवान्मानी संग्रामेष्वपराङ्मुखः
The king said: Great is my anxiety, my son, for you are my only child; you are brave, exceedingly strong, and proud, yet you turn away from battle.
एकापत्यस्य मे तात वृथेदं जीवितं किल । मृते त्वयि मृधे क्वापि किं करोमि निराश्रयः
O child, my life depends on having only one son; if you die in battle somewhere, what will I do, left without support?
एषा मे महती चिन्ता तेनाद्य दुःखितोऽत्म्यहम् । नान्या चिन्तास्ति मे पुत्र यां तवाग्रे वदाम्यहम्
This is my great concern, and because of it I am sorrowful today; there is no other worry I have, my son, which I speak before you.
सूत उवाच तदाकर्ण्याथ गाङ्गेयो मन्त्रिवृद्धानपृच्छत । न मां वदति भूपालो लज्जयाद्य परिप्लुतः
Sūta said: Hearing this, Gāṅgeya then asked the aged ministers, 'The king does not speak to me, overwhelmed by embarrassment today.'
वित्त वार्तां नृपस्याद्य पृष्ट्वा यूयं विनिश्चयात् । सत्यं ब्रुवन्तु मां सर्वं तत्करोमि निराकुलः
Ask the king about his concerns today, and with certainty speak the truth to me; tell me everything, and I will act without hesitation.
तच्छ्रुत्वा ते नृपं गत्वा संविज्ञाय च कारणम् । शशंसुर्विदितार्थस्तु गाङ्गेयस्तदचिन्तयत्
Hearing this, they went to the king, learned the reason, and informed Gāṅgeya, who then pondered the matter.
सहितस्तैर्जगामाशु दाशस्य सदनं तदा । प्रेमपूर्वमुवाचेदं विनम्रो जाह्नवीसुतः
Together with them, he quickly went to the house of the fisherman, and, bowing with affection, the son of Jahnavi spoke these words.
गाङ्गेय उवाच पित्रे देहि सुतां तेऽद्य प्रार्थयामि सुमध्यमाम् । माता मेऽस्तु सुतेयं ते दासोऽत्म्यस्याः परन्तप
Gāṅgeya said: Give your daughter to my father today, I request the fair-waisted one; let her be my mother, and I will be her servant, O scorcher of foes.
दाश उवाच त्वं गृहाण महाभाग पत्नीं कुरु नृपात्मज । पुत्रोऽस्या न भवेद्राजा वर्तमाने त्वयीति वै
The fisherman said: Take her, O greatly fortunate one, make her your wife, O prince; but her son shall not become king while you are alive.
गाङ्गेय उवाच मातेयं मम दाशेयी राज्यं नैव करोम्यहम् । पुत्रोऽस्याः सर्वथा राज्यं करिष्यति न संशयः
Gāṅgeya said: This daughter of the fisherman shall be my mother; I will not take the kingdom; her son will certainly rule, without doubt.
दाश उवाच सत्यं वाक्यं मया ज्ञातं पुत्रस्ते बलवान्भवेत् । सोऽपि राज्यं बलान्नूनं गृह्णीयादिति निश्चयः
The fisherman said: I know your words are true; your son will be strong, and surely, by his strength, he will take the kingdom.
गाङ्गेय उवाच न दारसंग्रहं नूनं करिष्यामि हि सर्वथा । सत्यं मे वचनं तात मया भीष्मं व्रतं कृतम्
Gāṅgeya said: I will certainly not marry, in any way; my words are true, O father, I have taken the vow of Bhīṣma.
सूत उवाच एवं कृतां प्रतिज्ञां तु निशम्य झषजीवकः । ददौ सत्यवतीं तस्मै राज्ञे सर्वाङ्गशोभनाम्
Sūta said: Hearing this vow, the fisherman gave Satyavatī, radiant in all limbs, to the king.
अनेन विधिना तेन वृता सत्यवती प्रिया । न जानाति परं जन्म व्यासस्य नृपसत्तमः
By this arrangement, Satyavatī was united with Śantanu; the noble king does not know the further birth of Vyāsa.
युधिष्ठिरादीनामुत्पत्तिवर्णनम् सूत उवाच एवं सत्यवती तेन वृता शन्तनुना किल । द्वौ पुत्रौ च तया जातौ मृतौ कालवशादपि
The account of the birth of Yudhiṣṭhira and others. Sūta said: Thus Satyavatī was united with Śantanu, and two sons were born to her, but both died due to the force of time.
व्यासवीर्यात्तु सञ्जातो धृतराष्ट्रोऽन्ध एव च । मुनिं दृष्ट्वाथ कामिन्या नेत्रसम्मीलने कृते
From Vyāsa's seed was born Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who was blind; when the sage was seen, the desirous woman closed her eyes.
श्वेतरूपा यतो जाता दृष्ट्वा व्यासं नृपात्मजा । व्यासकोपात्समुत्पन्नः पाण्डुस्तेन न संशयः
Because she appeared in a white form when she saw Vyasa, the king's daughter, Pandu was born from Vyasa's anger—of this there is no doubt.
सन्तोषितस्तया व्यासो दास्या कामकलाविदा । विदुरस्तु समुत्पन्नो धर्मांशः सत्यवाक् शुचिः
Vyasa, pleased by her, through the maidservant who knew the art of desire, begot Vidura, who was a portion of Dharma, truthful, and pure.
राज्ये संस्थापितः पाण्डुः कनीयानपि मन्त्रिभिः । अन्धत्वाद्धृतराष्ट्रोऽसौ नाधिकारे नियोजितः
Though Pandu was the younger, he was established in the kingdom by the ministers; Dhritarashtra, due to blindness, was not appointed to authority.
भीष्मस्यानुमते राज्यं प्राप्तः पाण्डुर्महाबलः । विदुरोऽप्यथ मेधावी मन्त्रकार्ये नियोजितः
With Bhishma's approval, the mighty Pandu obtained the kingdom; and Vidura, intelligent, was appointed to the work of counsel.
धृतराष्ट्रस्य द्वे भार्ये गान्धारी सौबली स्मृता । द्वितीया च तथा वैश्या गार्हस्त्येषु प्रतिष्ठिता
Dhritarashtra had two wives: Gandhari, known as the daughter of Subala, and the second, a Vaishya woman, established in household duties.
पाण्डोरपि तथा पत्न्यौ द्वे प्रोक्ते वेदवादिभिः । शौरसेनी तथा कुन्ती माद्री च मद्रदेशजा
Pandu also had two wives, as declared by the Vedic scholars: Kunti, the daughter of Shurasena, and Madri, born in the land of Madra.
गान्धारी सुषुवे पुत्रशतं परमशोभनम् । वैश्याप्येकं सुतं कान्तं युयुत्सुं सुषुवे प्रियम्
Gandhari gave birth to a hundred sons, exceedingly splendid; the Vaishya woman too bore one beloved son, Yuyutsu.
कुन्ती तु प्रथमं कन्या सूर्यात्कर्णं मनोहरम् । सुषुवे पितृगेहस्था पश्चात्पाण्डुपरिग्रहः
Kunti, while still a maiden in her father's house, first bore Karna, charming in form, from the Sun; later she was married to Pandu.
ऋषय ऊचुः किमेतत्सूत चित्रं त्वं भाषसे मुनिसत्तम । जनितश्च सुतः पूर्वं पाण्डुना सा विवाहिता
The sages said: O Suta, excellent among sages, what is this wondrous thing you are telling? A son was born before, yet she was married to Pandu.
सूर्यात्कर्णः कथं जातः कन्यायां वद विस्तरात् । कन्या कथं पुनर्जाता पाण्डुना सा विवाहिता
How was Karna born from the Sun in a maiden? Tell in detail. How was she again a maiden and then married to Pandu?
सूत उवाच शूरसेनसुता कुन्ती बालभावे यदा द्विजाः । कुन्तिभोजेन राज्ञा तु प्रार्थिता कन्यका शुभा
The Suta said: Kunti, daughter of Shurasena, when she was a child, O twice-born, was requested as a maiden by King Kuntibhoja.
कुन्तिभोजेन सा बाला पुत्री तु परिकल्पिता । सेवनार्थं तु दीप्तस्य विहिता चारुहासिनी
She, the girl, was adopted as a daughter by Kuntibhoja and, with a lovely smile, was appointed to serve the radiant sage.