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.
अभिमन्योर्वरा भार्या वैराटी चातिसुन्दरी । कुलान्ते सुषुवे पुत्रं मृतो बाणाग्निना शिशुः
Abhimanyu's excellent wife, the exceedingly beautiful daughter of Virata, gave birth to a son at the end of her lineage, but the child was killed by the fire of arrows.
जीवितः स तु कृष्णेन भागिनेयसुतः स्वयम् । द्रौणिबाणाग्निनिर्दग्धः प्रतापेनाद्भुतेन च
That nephew's son was brought back to life by Krishna himself, though he had been burned by the fire of Drona's arrows, through Krishna's wondrous power.
परिक्षीणेषु वंशेषु जातो यस्माद्वरः सुतः । तस्मात्परीक्षितो नाम विख्यातः पृथिवीतले
Because, when the dynasties were nearly extinguished, such an excellent son was born, he became renowned on earth by the name Parikshit.
निहतेषु च पुत्रेषु धृतराष्ट्रोऽतिदुःखितः । तस्थौ पाण्डवराज्ये च भीमवाग्बाणपीडितः
When his sons were slain, Dhritarashtra was overwhelmed with grief and remained in the Pandava kingdom, afflicted by Bhima's harsh words and arrows.
गान्धारी च तथातिष्ठत् पुत्रशोकातुरा भृशम् । सेवां तयोर्दिवारात्रं चकारार्तो युधिष्ठिरः
Gandhari too stayed there, deeply tormented by sorrow for her sons; Yudhishthira, afflicted, served them both day and night.
विदुरोऽप्यतिधर्मात्मा प्रज्ञानेत्रमबोधयत् । युधिष्ठिरस्यानुमते भ्रातृपार्श्वे व्यतिष्ठत
Vidura, exceedingly righteous, enlightened them with the eye of wisdom; with Yudhishthira's consent, he stayed by his brother's side.
धर्मपुत्रोऽपि धर्मात्मा चकार सेवनं पितुः । पुत्रशोकोद्भवं दुःखं तस्य विस्मारयन्निव
The righteous son of Dharma also rendered service to his father, as if to make him forget the sorrow arising from the loss of his sons.
यथा शृणोति वृद्धोऽसौ तथा भीमोऽतिरोषितः । वारबाणेनाहनत्तं तु श्रावयन्संस्थिताञ्जनान्
As the old man heard, so Bhima, exceedingly enraged, struck him with words as sharp as arrows, making those assembled hear.
मया पुत्रा हताः सर्वे दुष्टस्यान्धस्य ते रणे । दुःशासनस्य रुधिरं पीतं हृद्यं तथा भृशम्
"By me all your sons, O wicked blind one, were slain in battle; I drank the blood of Dushasana, and found it most satisfying."
भुनक्ति पिण्डमन्धोऽयं मया दत्तं गतत्रपः । ध्वांक्षवद्वा श्ववच्चापि वृथा जीवत्यसौ जनः
"This blind man shamelessly eats the food I give, like a vulture or a dog; this person lives in vain."