कथायां वर्तमानायां कदाचिद्धर्मसंश्रितम् । अशृणोद्वचनं राजा सुपृष्टं मुनिभाषितम्
Once, as a discourse was underway, the king heard a statement concerning dharma, well asked and spoken by a sage.
अपुत्रस्य गतिर्नास्ति स्वर्गे गन्तुं परन्तप । येन केनाप्युपायेन पुत्रस्य जननं चरेत्
'For one without a son, there is no passage to heaven, O subduer of foes; by any means possible, one should ensure the birth of a son.'
अंशजः पुत्रिकापुत्रः क्षेत्रजो गोलकस्तथा । कुण्डः सहोढः कानीनः क्रीतः प्राप्तस्तथा वने
A son may be born of a portion, or to a maiden, or as the field-born, or as a foundling; also as a child from a vessel, one raised by the husband, one born out of wedlock, one purchased, or one found in the forest.
दत्तः केनापि चाशक्तौ धनग्राहिसुताः स्मृताः । उत्तरोत्तरतः पुत्रा निकृष्टा इति निश्चयः
Or one given by someone in incapacity; sons who are receivers of wealth are also recognized. Each successive type of son is considered inferior to the previous, this is the conclusion.
इत्याकर्ण्य तदा प्राह कुन्तीं कमललोचनाम् । सुतमुत्पादयाशु त्वं मुनिं गत्वा तपोऽन्वितम्
Hearing this, he then said to Kuntī, lotus-eyed: 'Quickly produce a son by approaching a sage engaged in austerity.'
ममाज्ञया न दोषस्ते पुरा राज्ञा महात्मना । वसिष्ठाज्जनितः पुत्रः सौदासेनेति मे श्रुतम्
'By my command, there is no fault in you; formerly, O great one, a son named Saudāsa was begotten by Vasiṣṭha upon the queen, as I have heard.'
तं कुन्ती वचनं प्राह मम मन्त्रोऽस्ति कामदः । दत्तो दुर्वाससा पूर्वं सिद्धिदः सर्वथा प्रभो
Kuntī replied to him: 'I possess a mantra that grants desires, given to me before by Durvāsas, which always bestows success, O lord.'
निमन्त्रयेऽहं यं देवं मन्त्रेणानेन पार्थिव । आगच्छेत्सर्वथासौ वै मम पार्श्वं निमन्त्रितः
'Whichever god I invoke with this mantra, O king, he will certainly come to my side when invited.'
भर्तुर्वाक्येन सा तत्र स्मृत्वा धर्मं सुरोत्तमम् । सङ्गम्य सुषुवे पुत्रं प्रथमं च युधिष्ठिरम्
By her husband's command, remembering the supreme dharma, she united and bore her first son, Yudhiṣṭhira.
वायोर्वृकोदरं पुत्रं जिष्णुं चैव शतक्रतोः । वर्षे वर्षे त्रयः पुत्राः कुन्त्या जाता महाबलाः
From Vāyu she bore Vṛkodara as a son, and from Indra, Arjuna; thus, year by year, three mighty sons were born to Kuntī.
माद्री प्राह पतिं पाण्डुं पुत्रं मे कुरु सत्तम । किं करोमि महाराज दुःखं नाशय मे प्रभो
Mādrī said to her husband Pāṇḍu: 'Grant me a son, O noble one; what should I do, O great king? Remove my sorrow, lord.'
प्रार्थिता पतिना कुन्ती ददौ मन्त्रं दयान्विता । एकपुत्रप्रबन्धेन माद्री पतिमते स्थिता
Requested by her husband, Kuntī, full of compassion, gave her the mantra; Mādrī, with her husband's consent, used it for a single son.
स्मृत्वा तदाश्विनौ देवौ मद्रराजसुता सुतौ । नकुलः सहदेवश्च सुषुवे वरवर्णिनी
Remembering the twin Ashvins, the sons of the king of Madra, Nakula and Sahadeva were born to the radiant lady.
एवं ते पाण्डवाः पञ्च क्षेत्रोत्पन्ताः सुरात्मजाः । वर्षवर्षान्तरे जाता वने तस्मिन्द्विजोत्तमाः
Thus, the five Pandavas, born of the gods and conceived in the field, were born year after year in that forest, O best of twice-born.
एकस्मिन्समये पाण्डुर्माद्रीं दृष्ट्वाथ निर्जने । आश्रमे चातिकामार्तो जग्राहागतवैशसः
Once, Pandu saw Madri alone in the hermitage, and overwhelmed by desire, he seized her, unaware of impending misfortune.
मा मा मा मेति बहुधा निषिद्धोऽपितया भृशम् । आलिलिङ्ग प्रियां दैवात्पपात धरणीतले
Though she repeatedly pleaded, 'No, no, no,' he embraced his beloved; by fate, he fell to the ground.
यथा वृक्षगता वल्ली छिन्ने पतति वै द्रुमे । तथा सा पतिता बाला कुर्वन्ती रोदनं बहु
Just as a vine falls from a tree when its support is cut, so she, still young, fell and wept bitterly.
प्रत्यागता तदा कुन्ती रुदती बालकास्तथा । मुनयश्च महाभागाः श्रुत्वा कोलाहलं तदा
Then Kunti returned, weeping, along with the children; the great sages, hearing the commotion, also came.
मृतः पाण्डुस्तदा सर्वे मुनयः संशितव्रताः । सहाग्निभिर्विधिं कृत्वा गङ्गातीरे तदादहन्
Pandu had died; all the sages, steadfast in their vows, performed the rites with fire and cremated him on the bank of the Ganges.
चक्रे सहैव गमनं माद्री दत्त्वा सुतौ शिशू । कुन्त्यै धर्मं पुरस्कृत्य सतीनां सत्यकामतः
Madri resolved to depart with him, entrusting her two children to Kunti, upholding righteousness and the truthfulness of devoted wives.
जलदानादिकं कृत्वा मुनयस्तत्र वासिनः । पञ्चपुत्रयुतां कुन्तीमनयन्हस्तिनापुरम्
After performing water offerings and other rites, the resident sages took Kunti, accompanied by her five sons, to Hastinapura.
तां प्राप्तां च समाज्ञाय गाङ्गेयो विदुरस्तथा । नगरीं धृतराष्ट्रस्य सर्वे तत्र समाययुः
Learning of their arrival, Bhishma, Vidura, and others went to the city of Dhritarashtra; all assembled there.
पप्रच्छुश्च जनाः सर्वे कस्य पुत्रा वरानने । पाण्डोः शापं समाज्ञाय कुन्ती दुःखान्विता तदा
All the people asked, 'Whose sons are these, O beautiful one?' Knowing Pandu's curse, Kunti was filled with sorrow.
तानुवाच सुराणां वै पुत्राः कुरुकुलोद्भवाः । विश्वासार्थं समाहूताः कुन्त्या सर्वे सुरास्तदा
She replied, 'These sons are born of the gods, descendants of the Kuru line.' For assurance, Kunti summoned all the gods.
आगत्य खे तदा तैस्तु कथितं नः सुताः किल । भीष्मेण सत्कृतं वाक्यं देवानां सत्कृताः सुताः
The gods appeared in the sky and declared, 'These are indeed our sons.' Bhishma honored their words, and the sons of the gods were honored.
गता नागपुरं सर्वे तानादाय सुतान्वधूम् । भीष्मादयः प्रीतचित्ताः पालयामासुरर्थतः
Bhishma and others, joyful at heart, took the sons and their mother to Nagapura and cared for them with devotion.
एवं पार्थाः समुत्पन्ना गाङ्गेयेनाथ पालिताः
Thus, the Parthas were born and protected by Bhishma, son of Ganga.
पाण्डवानां कथानकं मृतानां दर्शनवर्णनम् सूत उवाच पञ्चानां द्रौपदी भार्या सा मान्या सा पतिव्रता । पञ्च पुत्रास्तु तस्याः स्युर्भर्तृभ्योऽतीव सुन्दराः
The tale of the Pandavas and the description of the departed ones' appearance. Suta said: Draupadi, the wife of the five, is honored and devoted to her husbands; she had five sons, exceedingly handsome, by her husbands.
अर्जुनस्य तथा भार्या कृष्णस्य भगिनी शुभा । सुभद्रा या हृता पूर्वं जिष्णुना हरिसम्मते
Arjuna's wife was Krishna's noble sister, Subhadra, who was formerly taken by Jishnu, esteemed by Hari.
तस्यां जातो महावीरो निहतोऽसौ रणाजिरे । अभिमन्युर्हतास्तत्र द्रौपद्याश्च सुताः किल
From her was born the great hero Abhimanyu, who was slain on the battlefield; there, too, Draupadi's sons were killed.