Critical Edition
शंतनुरुवाच आपवो नाम को न्वेष वसूनां किं च दुष्कृतम् यस्याभिशापात्ते सर्वे मानुषीं तनुमागताः
M. N. Dutt: Shantanu said : Who was Apava and what fault was committed by the Vasus that they had to be born among men in consequence of his curse?
Supplementary Passages:
1.93.1 After 1ab, S ins.: *952 शशाप यस्मात्कल्याणि स वसूंश्चारुदर्शने
अनेन च कुमारेण गङ्गादत्तेन किं कृतम् यस्य चैव कृतेनायं मानुषेषु निवत्स्यति
M. N. Dutt: What also had this child done that he should have to live among men?
ईशानाः सर्वलोकस्य वसवस्ते च वै कथम् मानुषेषूदपद्यन्त तन्ममाचक्ष्व जाह्नवि
M. N. Dutt: Why also the lord of the three worlds, the Vasus, were condemned to be born among men? O daughter of Jahnu, tell me all.
वैशंपायन उवाच सैवमुक्ता ततो गङ्गा राजानमिदमब्रवीत् भर्तारं जाह्नवी देवी शंतनुं पुरुषर्षभम्
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said : Having been thus addressed, the celestial lady, the daughter of Jahnu, Ganga, replied to her husband, the best of men, Shantanu.
यं लेभे वरुणः पुत्रं पुरा भरतसत्तम वसिष्ठो नाम स मुनिः ख्यात आपव इत्युत
M. N. Dutt: Ganga said: O best of the Bharata race, the son that was formerly born of Varuna, was the Rishi named Vasistha. He was subsequently known by the name of Apava.
तस्याश्रमपदं पुण्यं मृगपक्षिगणान्वितम् मेरोः पार्श्वे नगेन्द्रस्य सर्वर्तुकुसुमावृतम्
M. N. Dutt: His hermitage stood by the side of the best of mountains, the Meru. The place. was holy and abounded in deer and birds. It was covered with all the best flowers.
स वारुणिस्तपस्तेपे तस्मिन्भरतसत्तम वने पुण्यकृतां श्रेष्ठः स्वादुमूलफलोदके
M. N. Dutt: O best of the Bharata race, that foremost of all virtuous men, the son of Varuna, practised his penances in that forest, abounding in sweet roots, fruits and water.
दक्षस्य दुहिता या तु सुरभीत्यतिगर्विता गां प्रजाता तु सा देवी कश्यपाद्भरतर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: Daksha had a daughter who was known as Surabhi. O best of the Bharata race, that lady gave birth to a cow by Kashyapa.
अनुग्रहार्थं जगतः सर्वकामदुघां वराम् तां लेभे गां तु धर्मात्मा होमधेनुं स वारुणिः
M. N. Dutt: The virtuous-minded son of Varuna, obtained that best of kine, capable of granting every desire, for the purpose of his Homa rites and for benefiting the world,
सा तस्मिंस्तापसारण्ये वसन्ती मुनिसेविते चचार रम्ये धर्म्ये च गौरपेतभया तदा
M. N. Dutt: That cow dwelt in that forest adored of all the Rishis. She roamed fearlessly in those sacred and delightful woods.
अथ तद्वनमाजग्मुः कदाचिद्भरतर्षभ पृथ्वाद्या वसवः सर्वे देवदेवर्षिसेवितम्
M. N. Dutt: O best of the Bharata race, once on a time came to that forest adored by the celestials Rishis, all the celestial Vasus, Prithu being at then head.
ते सदारा वनं तच्च व्यचरन्त समन्ततः रेमिरे रमणीयेषु पर्वतेषु वनेषु च
M. N. Dutt: They roamed with their wives into that forest and enjoyed themselves in those delightful woods and mountains.
तत्रैकस्य तु भार्या वै वसोर्वासवविक्रम सा चरन्ती वने तस्मिन्गां ददर्श सुमध्यमा या सा वसिष्ठस्य मुनेः सर्वकामधुगुत्तमा
M. N. Dutt: O Indra like powerful man, one of the slender-waisted of the Vasus saw that cow roaming in the forest.
सा विस्मयसमाविष्टा शीलद्रविणसंपदा दिवे वै दर्शयामास तां गां गोवृषभेक्षण
AI Translation: She, filled with wonder at the wealth of her moral character, showed her to the sun, O bull-eyed one.
Supplementary Passages:
1.93.14 After 14, B5 ins.: *953 षडुन्नतां सुपार्श्वोरुं पृथुपञ्चसमायताम् अष्टायतशिरोग्रीवां पृथुस्तां समपद्यत
स्वापीनां च सुदोग्ध्रीं च सुवालधिमुखां शुभाम् उपपन्नां गुणैः सर्वैः शीलेनानुत्तमेन च
AI Translation: and the cow who gives much milk, with a good face and a good udder, who has been born with all good qualities, with supreme morality,
एवंगुणसमायुक्तां वसवे वसुनन्दिनी दर्शयामास राजेन्द्र पुरा पौरवनन्दन
AI Translation: Thus endowed with good qualities, Vasu, the bestower of joy to Vasus, showed to the king, the delight of the Purus, in the past.
द्यौस्तदा तां तु दृष्ट्वैव गां गजेन्द्रेन्द्रविक्रम उवाच राजंस्तां देवीं तस्या रूपगुणान्वदन्
AI Translation: Then, O king, the sky, seeing her, of the gait of the lord of elephants, spoke to that goddess, describing her form and qualities.
Supplementary Passages:
1.93.17 After 17ab, B3 ins.: *954 उवाच राजंस्तां देवीं नृपोत्तम सुमध्यमां
एषा गौरुत्तमा देवि वारुणेरसितेक्षणे ऋषेस्तस्य वरारोहे यस्येदं वनमुत्तमम्
AI Translation: This is the best cow, O Goddess, with dark eyes, O Varuṇī, The best of cows, O beautiful one, of that sage who has this excellent forest.
अस्याः क्षीरं पिबेन्मर्त्यः स्वादु यो वै सुमध्यमे दश वर्षसहस्राणि स जीवेत्स्थिरयौवनः
AI Translation: If a man drinks the milk of this one, O you of a good waist, he would live for ten thousand years with a firm youth.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु सा देवी नृपोत्तम सुमध्यमा तमुवाचानवद्याङ्गी भर्तारं दीप्ततेजसम्
AI Translation: Hearing this, the queen of excellent waist, spoke to her husband of spotless limbs and brilliant splendor:
अस्ति मे मानुषे लोके नरदेवात्मजा सखी नाम्ना जिनवती नाम रूपयौवनशालिनी
AI Translation: In the human world, I have a friend, the daughter of a king, named Jinavati, who is endowed with beauty and youth.
उशीनरस्य राजर्षेः सत्यसंधस्य धीमतः दुहिता प्रथिता लोके मानुषे रूपसंपदा
AI Translation: The daughter of the wise king Ushinara, who was true to his word, was renowned in the world for her beauty among humans.
तस्या हेतोर्महाभाग सवत्सां गां ममेप्सिताम् आनयस्वामरश्रेष्ठ त्वरितं पुण्यवर्धन
AI Translation: For her sake, O Blessed One, bring me the desired cow with her calf. O best of the immortal ones, increase my merit quickly.
यावदस्याः पयः पीत्वा सा सखी मम मानद मानुषेषु भवत्वेका जरारोगविवर्जिता
AI Translation: "As long as she drinks your milk, O you who bestow honour, may she be one among humans, free from old age and disease."
एतन्मम महाभाग कर्तुमर्हस्यनिन्दित प्रियं प्रियतरं ह्यस्मान्नास्ति मेऽन्यत्कथंचन
AI Translation: O Blessed One, it is proper for you to do this, O blameless one. For there is nothing else that is dearer to me than you.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्या देव्याः प्रियचिकीर्षया पृथ्वाद्यैर्भ्रातृभिः सार्धं द्यौस्तदा तां जहार गाम्
AI Translation: Hearing these words of the goddess, out of a desire to please her, Dyaus, along with his brothers Prithv and others, then took away that cow.
तया कमलपत्राक्ष्या नियुक्तो द्यौस्तदा नृप ऋषेस्तस्य तपस्तीव्रं न शशाक निरीक्षितुम् हृता गौः सा तदा तेन प्रपातस्तु न तर्कितः
AI Translation: The king was then appointed by her, the lotus-eyed one. He was unable to look at the sage's intense austerities. The cow was taken away by him then, but the fall was not realized.
अथाश्रमपदं प्राप्तः फलान्यादाय वारुणिः न चापश्यत गां तत्र सवत्सां काननोत्तमे
M. N. Dutt: When in the evening the son of Varuna returned to his hermitage with the fruits he had collected, he did not find the cow and its calf. Then he began to search for her in that excellent wood.
ततः स मृगयामास वने तस्मिंस्तपोधनः नाध्यगच्छच्च मृगयंस्तां गां मुनिरुदारधीः
M. N. Dutt: The noble-minded and greatly intelligent ascetic searched for the cow everywhere in the woods; but though he searched long, yet he could he not find her.
ज्ञात्वा तथापनीतां तां वसुभिर्दिव्यदर्शनः ययौ क्रोधवशं सद्यः शशाप च वसूंस्तदा
M. N. Dutt: The man of ascetic vision then found that she had been stolen by the Vasus. His anger was at once roused and he cursed the Vasus-
यस्मान्मे वसवो जह्रुर्गां वै दोग्ध्रीं सुवालधिम् तस्मात्सर्वे जनिष्यन्ति मानुषेषु न संशयः
M. N. Dutt: Saying, “As the Vasus have stolen my cow sweet milk and handsome tail, they shall certainly be born as men on earth.”
एवं शशाप भगवान्वसूंस्तान्मुनिसत्तमः वशं कोपस्य संप्राप्त आपवो भरतर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: O best of the Bharata race, the illustrious Apava, the best of Rishis, thus cursed the Vasus out of anger.
शप्त्वा च तान्महाभागस्तपस्येव मनो दधे एवं स शप्तवान्राजन्वसूनष्टौ तपोधनः महाप्रभावो ब्रह्मर्षिर्देवान्रोषसमन्वितः
AI Translation: Having cursed them, the illustrious one set his mind on asceticism. Thus, the sage, the great ascetic, the brahmin sage of great power, full of anger, cursed the eight Vasus, O king.
Supplementary Passages:
1.93.33 After 33, D4 (marg. sec. m.) S ins.: *955 एवं शप्तास्ततस्तेन मुनिना यामुनेन वै अष्टौ समस्ता वसवो मुने रोषेण सत्तम
अथाश्रमपदं प्राप्य तं स्म भूयो महात्मनः शप्ताः स्म इति जानन्त ऋषिं तमुपचक्रमुः
AI Translation: Then, having reached the hermitage of that great soul, we again knowing that we were cursed, approached that sage.
प्रसादयन्तस्तमृषिं वसवः पार्थिवर्षभ न लेभिरे च तस्मात्ते प्रसादमृषिसत्तमात् आपवात्पुरुषव्याघ्र सर्वधर्मविशारदात्
AI Translation: O bull among kings, the Vasus, seeking to please him, did not obtain his favor from that best of sages. From the one who was free from pride, O tiger among men, who was skilled in all forms of conduct,
Supplementary Passages:
1.93.35 After 35cd, S ins.: *956 चकार च न तेषां वै प्रसादं भगवानृषिः
उवाच च स धर्मात्मा सप्त यूयं धरादयः अनु संवत्सराच्छापमोक्षं वै समवाप्स्यथ
M. N. Dutt: The virtuous Rishi said, “You have been cursed by me along with Dhara and others. But you shall be freed from my curse within a year of your birth among men.
अयं तु यत्कृते यूयं मया शप्ताः स वत्स्यति द्यौस्तदा मानुषे लोके दीर्घकालं स्वकर्मणा
M. N. Dutt: But he for whose act you have all been cursed by me, that Dyo, will have to remain on earth for long for his own (sinful) act.
नानृतं तच्चिकीर्षामि युष्मान्क्रुद्धो यदब्रुवम् न प्रजास्यति चाप्येष मानुषेषु महामनाः
M. N. Dutt: I shall not make my words futile though uttered in anger. But Dyo shall not beget offspring when dwelling on earth.
Supplementary Passages:
1.93.38 After 38ab, S ins.: *957 प्रजा ह्यनृतवाक्येन हिंस्यामप्यात्मनस्तथा
भविष्यति च धर्मात्मा सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः पितुः प्रियहिते युक्तः स्त्रीभोगान्वर्जयिष्यति एवमुक्त्वा वसून्सर्वाञ्जगाम भगवानृषिः
M. N. Dutt: "He will be virtuous-minded and learned in all Shastras. He will be very obedient to his father and abstain from the pleasure of women."
ततो मामुपजग्मुस्ते समस्ता वसवस्तदा अयाचन्त च मां राजन्वरं स च मया कृतः जाताञ्जातान्प्रक्षिपास्मान्स्वयं गङ्गे त्वमम्भसि
M. N. Dutt: O king, they prayed to me for a boon, saying, "O Ganga, as soon as each of us will, be born, you yourself should throw us into the water."
एवं तेषामहं सम्यक्शप्तानां राजसत्तम मोक्षार्थं मानुषाल्लोकाद्यथावत्कृतवत्यहम्
M. N. Dutt: O best of kings, I did act accordingly. (I threw them into the waters) in order to free them from their earthly life, the effect of that curse.
अयं शापादृषेस्तस्य एक एव नृपोत्तम द्यौ राजन्मानुषे लोके चिरं वत्स्यति भारत
M. N. Dutt: O descendant of the Bharata race, O excellent king, the only one, namely Dyo himself, is to live earth on account of the Rishi's curse.
Supplementary Passages:
1.93.42 After 42, S ins.: *958 अयं कुमारः पुत्रस्ते विवृद्धः पुनरेष्यति अहं च ते भविष्यामि आह्वानोपगता नृप
एतदाख्याय सा देवी तत्रैवान्तरधीयत आदाय च कुमारं तं जगामाथ यथेप्सितम्
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said : Having said this, the goddess disappeared then and there. Taking her son with her, she went away to the place she wished to go.
Supplementary Passages:
1.93.43 After 43, S ins.: *959 तस्माद्देवव्रतश्चैव गङ्गादत्तश्च सोऽभवत्
स तु देवव्रतो नाम गाङ्गेय इति चाभवत् द्विनामा शंतनोः पुत्रः शंतनोरधिको गुणैः
M. N. Dutt: That son of Shantanu was named both Gangeya and Devavrata and he excelled his father in all accomplishments.
शंतनुश्चापि शोकार्तो जगाम स्वपुरं ततः तस्याहं कीर्तयिष्यामि शंतनोरमितान्गुणान्
M. N. Dutt: Shantanu then went to his own capital with a sorrowful heart. I shall now narrate to you the many accomplishments of Shantanu,
Supplementary Passages:
1.93.45 After 45ab, S ins.: *960 तस्य कीर्तिं च वृत्तिं च महतो नृपसद्गुणान्
महाभाग्यं च नृपतेर्भारतस्य यशस्विनः यस्येतिहासो द्युतिमान्महाभारतमुच्यते
M. N. Dutt: And the great fortune of the illustrious king of the Bharata race, the history of whom is called this effulgent Mahabharata.