Critical Edition
शौनक उवाच सौते कथय तामेतां विस्तरेण कथां पुनः आस्तीकस्य कवेः साधोः शुश्रूषा परमा हि नः
M. N. Dutt: Shaunaka said: O Sauti, once more relate to us in detail the history of the learned and virtuous Astika. Great is our curiosity to hear it.
मधुरं कथ्यते सौम्य श्लक्ष्णाक्षरपदं त्वया प्रीयामहे भृशं तात पितेवेदं प्रभाषसे
M. N. Dutt: O gentle one, you speak very sweetly with proper accent and emphasis. We are very much, pleased with your speech. You speak like your (late) father.
अस्मच्छुश्रूषणे नित्यं पिता हि निरतस्तव आचष्टैतद्यथाख्यानं पिता ते त्वं तथा वद
M. N. Dutt: Your father was always ready to please us. Tell us, therefore, the story that your father had related.
सूत उवाच आयुष्यमिदमाख्यानमास्तीकं कथयामि ते यथा श्रुतं कथयतः सकाशाद्वै पितुर्मया
M. N. Dutt: Sauti said: O long-lived ones, I shall narrate this story of Astika as I heard it from my father.
पुरा देवयुगे ब्रह्मन्प्रजापतिसुते शुभे आस्तां भगिन्यौ रूपेण समुपेतेऽद्भुतेऽनघे
M. N. Dutt: O Brahmana, in the golden age Prajapati had two fair daughters. O sinless one, the two sisters were endued with great beauty.
ते भार्ये कश्यपस्यास्तां कद्रूश्च विनता च ह प्रादात्ताभ्यां वरं प्रीतः प्रजापतिसमः पतिः कश्यपो धर्मपत्नीभ्यां मुदा परमया युतः
M. N. Dutt: They were named Kadru and Vinata and they were the wives of Kashyapa. Their husband, who like Prajapati, having been pleased with them, gave each a boon
वरातिसर्गं श्रुत्वैव कश्यपादुत्तमं च ते हर्षादप्रतिमां प्रीतिं प्रापतुः स्म वरस्त्रियौ
AI Translation: Hearing the supreme Varātisarga from Kaśyapa, the two best women attained incomparable joy and delight.
वव्रे कद्रूः सुतान्नागान्सहस्रं तुल्यतेजसः द्वौ पुत्रौ विनता वव्रे कद्रूपुत्राधिकौ बले ओजसा तेजसा चैव विक्रमेणाधिकौ सुतौ
AI Translation: Kadru asked for a thousand sons, equal in splendor, and Vinata asked for two sons, superior to Kadru's sons in strength. They were to be superior in energy, splendor, and valor.
Supplementary Passages:
1.14.8 After 8, K4 (marg.) D4 (marg. sec. m.) ins.: *256 भवतो भवतो युक्तौ प्रसादात्तनयौ मम
तस्यै भर्ता वरं प्रादादध्यर्धं पुत्रमीप्सितम् एवमस्त्विति तं चाह कश्यपं विनता तदा
M. N. Dutt: On her did her husband bestow the boon of the desired sons; and Vinata said to him, “Be it so."
Supplementary Passages:
1.14.9 D5 ins. after 9: K0.2.4, after 11: *257 उक्ते समाहिते गर्भावेतौ धारयतस्तदा N (except Ñ1.3) ins. after 9 (D5 after 257*): *258 यथावत्प्रार्थितं लब्ध्वा वरं तुष्टाभवत्तदा
कृतकृत्या तु विनता लब्ध्वा वीर्याधिकौ सुतौ कद्रूश्च लब्ध्वा पुत्राणां सहस्रं तुल्यतेजसाम्
AI Translation: Vinatā, having obtained two sons superior in power, was satisfied. And Kadrū, having obtained a thousand sons of equal brilliance,
धार्यौ प्रयत्नतो गर्भावित्युक्त्वा स महातपाः ते भार्ये वरसंहृष्टे कश्यपो वनमाविशत्
M. N. Dutt: Kadru also obtained one thousand sons, all of equal spiendour. “Bear the embryos carefully.” So saying the great ascetic Kashyapa went into the forest, leaving his two wives much gratified with his boons.
कालेन महता कद्रूरण्डानां दशतीर्दश जनयामास विप्रेन्द्र द्वे अण्डे विनता तदा
M. N. Dutt: Sauti said: O best of Brahmanas, after a long time Kadru gave birth to one thousand eggs and Vinata two eggs.
तयोरण्डानि निदधुः प्रहृष्टाः परिचारिकाः सोपस्वेदेषु भाण्डेषु पञ्च वर्षशतानि च
M. N. Dutt: Their maid servants kept them separately in warm vessels and thus five hundred years passed away.
ततः पञ्चशते काले कद्रूपुत्रा विनिःसृताः अण्डाभ्यां विनतायास्तु मिथुनं न व्यदृश्यत
M. N. Dutt: After five hundred years, the sons of Kadru came out of the eggs, but Vinata's eggs did not produce anything.
ततः पुत्रार्थिणी देवी व्रीडिता सा तपस्विनी अण्डं बिभेद विनता तत्र पुत्रमदृक्षत
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon the ascetic lady desiring the sons, Vinata, feeling shame, broke open one of the eggs and saw her offspring,
पूर्वार्धकायसंपन्नमितरेणाप्रकाशता स पुत्रो रोषसंपन्नः शशापैनामिति श्रुतिः
M. N. Dutt: As an embryo with the upper part developed, but the lower part undeveloped. Thereupon the child grew angry and cursed its mother, saying,
योऽहमेवं कृतो मातस्त्वया लोभपरीतया शरीरेणासमग्रोऽद्य तस्माद्दासी भविष्यसि
M. N. Dutt: "O mother, as you have prematurely broken this egg and did not allow my body to be fully developed, being jealous (of Kadru), you will have to serve as the slave (of that very Kadru).
पञ्च वर्षशतान्यस्या यया विस्पर्धसे सह एष च त्वां सुतो मातर्दास्यत्वान्मोक्षयिष्यति
AI Translation: You are competing with her for five hundred years. And this son of yours, O mother, will free you from slavery.
यद्येनमपि मातस्त्वं मामिवाण्डविभेदनात् न करिष्यस्यदेहं वा व्यङ्गं वापि तपस्विनम्
AI Translation: If you will not make my body or my mind deformed, as you did to me when you broke the egg,
प्रतिपालयितव्यस्ते जन्मकालोऽस्य धीरया विशिष्टबलमीप्सन्त्या पञ्चवर्षशतात्परः
M. N. Dutt: O mother, if you are desirous of having your son strong, take tender care of the egg for five hundred years.
एवं शप्त्वा ततः पुत्रो विनतामन्तरिक्षगः अरुणो दृश्यते ब्रह्मन्प्रभातसमये सदा
AI Translation: Having cursed thus, the son of Vinatā, Aruṇa, is seen in the sky, O Brahman, always at dawn.
Supplementary Passages:
1.14.21 After 21, K2-4 Ñ1.2 V1 B D (except D5) ins.: *259 आदित्यरथमध्यास्ते सारथ्यं समकल्पयत् G (except G3.6) ins. after 21: D6 (om. lines 4, 5), after 259*: *260 उद्यन्नथ सहस्रांशुर्दृष्ट्वा तमरुणं प्रभुः स्वतेजसा प्रज्वलन्तमात्मनः समतेजसम् सारथ्ये कल्पयामास प्रीयमाणस्तमोनुदः सोऽपि तं रथमारुह्य भानोरमिततेजसः सर्वलोकप्रदीपस्य ह्यरुणोऽप्यमरोऽभवत्
गरुडोऽपि यथाकालं जज्ञे पन्नगसूदनः स जातमात्रो विनतां परित्यज्य खमाविशत्
AI Translation: Garuḍa, the destroyer of serpents, was born at the proper time. As soon as he was born, he left Vinatā and entered the sky.
आदास्यन्नात्मनो भोज्यमन्नं विहितमस्य यत् विधात्रा भृगुशार्दूल क्षुधितस्य बुभुक्षतः
M. N. Dutt: As soon as he was born, he left his mother and the king of the birds, being hungry, mounted on his wings to seek for the food assigned to him by the great Ordainer.