तं दृष्ट्वा च तदा कद्रूर्विनतामिदमब्रवीत् । किंवर्णोऽयं हयो भद्रे सत्यं प्रब्रूहि माचिरम्
Then, seeing it, Kadrū said to Vinatā, 'O dear one, what is the color of this horse? Tell me the truth quickly.'
विनतोवाच श्वेत एवाश्वराजोऽयं किं वा त्वं मन्यसे शुभे । ब्रूहि वर्णं त्वमप्यस्य ततस्तु विपणावहे
Vinatā said: 'This king of horses is white. What do you think, O auspicious one? You also tell me its color, and then let us make a wager.'
कद्रुरुवाच कृष्णवर्णमहं मन्ये हयमेनं शुचिस्मिते । एहि सार्धं मया दिव्यं दासीभावाय भामिनि
Kadrū said: 'I think this horse is black in color, O beautiful-smiling one. Come, let us make a divine wager together, and the loser will become the other's servant.'
सूत उवाच कद्रूश्च स्वसुतानाह सर्वान्सर्पान्वशे स्थितान् । बालाञ्छ्यामान्प्रकुर्वन्तु यावतोऽश्वशरीरके
The Sūta said: Kadrū then commanded all her serpent sons, who were obedient to her: 'Make the horse appear dark as much as possible on its body.'
नेति केचन तत्राहुस्तानथासौ शशाप ह । जनमेजयस्य यज्ञे वै गमिष्यथ हुताशनम्
Some of them refused, and she cursed them, saying, 'You will go into the fire at Janamejaya's sacrifice.'
अन्ये चक्रुर्हयं सर्पाः कर्बुरं वर्णभोगकैः । वेष्टयित्वास्य पुच्छं तु मातुः प्रियचिकीर्षया
Other serpents made the horse appear mottled by wrapping their bodies around its tail, wishing to please their mother.
भगिन्यौ च सुसंयुक्ते गत्वा ददृशतुर्हयम् । कर्बुरं तं हयं दृष्ट्वा विनता चातिदुःखिता
The two sisters, closely united, went and saw the horse. Seeing the mottled horse, Vinatā was greatly distressed.
तदाजगाम गरुडः सुतस्तस्या महाबलः । स दृष्ट्वा मातरं दीनामपृच्छत्पन्नगाशनः
At that moment, Garuḍa, her mighty son, arrived. Seeing his mother in distress, the devourer of serpents questioned her.
मातः कथं सुदीनासि रुदितेव विभासि मे । जीवमाने मयि सुते तथान्ये रविसारथौ
'Mother, why are you so dejected? You appear to me as if you are weeping, even though your son is alive, as is the charioteer of the Sun.'
दुःखितासि ततो वां धिग्जीवितं चारुलोचने । किं जातेन सुतेनाथ यदि माता सुदुःखिता
'You are sorrowful, so what is the use of your life, O beautiful-eyed one? What is the point of having a son if the mother is deeply unhappy?'
शंस मे कारणं मातः करोमि विगतज्वराम् । विनतोवाच सपत्न्या दास्यहं पुत्र किं ब्रवीमि वृथा क्षता
'Tell me the reason, Mother; I will act so that your sorrow is gone.' Vinatā said: 'I must become a servant to my co-wife, my son. What more can I say, wounded as I am?'
वह मां सा ब्रवीत्यद्य तेनास्मि दुःखिता सुत । गरुड उवाच वहिष्येऽहं तत्र किल यत्र सा गन्तुमुत्सुका
'Carry me,' she says today; because of this, I am distressed, my son.' Garuḍa said: 'I will carry you wherever she wishes to go.'
मा शोकं कुरु कल्याणि निश्चिन्तां त्वां करोम्यहम् । व्यास उवाच इत्युक्ता सा गता पार्श्वं कद्रोश्च विनता तदा
'Do not grieve, O blessed one; I will make you free from care.' Vyāsa said: Thus addressed, Vinatā then went to Kadrū's side.
दासीभावमपाकर्तुं गरुडोऽपि महाबलः । उवाह तां सपुत्रां वै सिन्धोः पारं जगाम ह
To remove her mother's servitude, the mighty Garuḍa carried her and her son and went to the far shore of the ocean.
गत्वा तां गरुडः प्राह ब्रूहि मातर्नमोऽस्तु ते । कथं मुच्येत मे माता दासीभावादसंशयम्
Garuda went and said to her, 'Mother, I bow to you. How can my mother be freed from servitude without doubt?'
कद्रूरुवाच अमृतं देवलोकात्त्वं बलादानीय मे सुतान् । समर्पय सुताद्याशु मातरं मोचयाबलाम्
Kadru said: 'Bring the nectar from the realm of the gods by force and give it to my sons; then quickly free your powerless mother.'
व्यास उवाच इत्युक्तः प्रययौ शीघ्रमिन्द्रलोकं महाबलः । कृत्वा युद्धं जहाराशु सुधाकुम्भं खगोत्तमः
Vyasa said: Thus addressed, the mighty one swiftly went to Indra's world; after fighting, the best of birds quickly seized the pot of nectar.
समानीयामृतं मात्रे वैनतेयः समर्पयत् । मोचिता विनता तेन दासीभावादसंशयम्
Having brought the nectar, Vainateya offered it to his mother; by that, Vinata was certainly freed from servitude.
अमृतं सञ्जहारेन्द्रः स्नातुं सर्पा यदा गताः । दासीभावाद्विनिर्मुक्ता विनता विपतेर्बलात्
Indra took away the nectar when the serpents had gone to bathe; Vinata was freed from servitude by the power of her son.
तत्रास्तीर्णाः कुशास्तैस्तु लीढाः पन्नगनामकैः । द्विजिह्वास्ते सुसम्पन्नाः कुशाग्रस्पर्शमात्रतः
There, kusa grass was spread out, which was licked by the serpents; those with two tongues became so by merely touching the tips of the kusa grass.
मात्रा शप्ताश्च ये नागा वासुकिप्रमुखाः शुचा । ब्रह्माणं शरणं गत्वा ते होचुः शापजं भयम्
And the serpents, led by Vasuki, cursed by their mother and distressed, went to Brahma for refuge and spoke of the fear caused by the curse.
तानाह भगवान्ब्रह्मा जरत्कारुर्महामुनिः । वासुकेर्भगिनीं तस्मै अर्पयध्वं सनामिकाम्
The blessed Brahma said to them, 'Give your sister, with a name, to the great sage Jaratkaru as his wife.'
तस्यां यो जायते पुत्रः स वस्त्राता भविष्यति । आस्तीक इति नामासौ भविता नात्र संशयः
A son born from her will be the savior of your race; he will be named Astika, without doubt.
वासुकिस्तु तदाकर्ण्य वचनं ब्रह्मणः शिवम् । वनं गत्वा सुतां तस्मै ददौ विनयपूर्वकम्
Hearing these auspicious words of Brahma, Vasuki went to the forest and respectfully gave his daughter to him.
सनामां तां मुनिर्ज्ञात्वा जरत्कारुरुवाच तम् । अप्रियं मे यदा कुर्यात्तदा तां सन्त्यजाम्यहम्
Knowing her to be named, the sage Jaratkaru said to him, 'If ever she does anything displeasing to me, then I will abandon her.'
वाग्बन्धं तादृशं कृत्वा मुनिर्जग्राह तां स्वयम् । दत्त्वा च वासुकिः कामं भवनं स्वं जगाम ह
Making such an agreement, the sage took her himself; and Vasuki, having fulfilled his wish, returned to his own abode.
कृत्वा पर्णकुटीं शुभ्रां जरत्कारुर्महावने । तया सह सुखं प्राप रममाणः परन्तप
Building a pure leaf-hut in the great forest, Jaratkaru, scorcher of foes, lived happily there with her.
एकदा भोजनं कृत्वा सुप्तोऽसौ मुनिसत्तमः । भगिनी वासुकेस्तत्र संस्थिता वरवर्णिनी
Once, after eating, that best of sages fell asleep; there, Vasuki's beautiful sister was present.
न सम्बोधयितव्योऽहं त्वया कान्ते कथञ्चन । इत्युक्त्वा तु गतो निद्रां मुनिस्तां सुदतीं तदा
'Beloved, you must not wake me under any circumstance,' saying this, the sage then went to sleep, addressing her with lovely teeth.
रविरस्तगिरिं प्राप्तः सन्ध्याकाल उपस्थिते । किं करोमि न मे शान्तिस्त्यजेन्मां बोधितः पुनः
When the sun had reached the western mountain and evening approached, she thought, 'What should I do? I have no peace; if I wake him, he will abandon me again.'