Critical Edition
भीष्म उवाच गुणैः समुदितं सम्यगिदं नः प्रथितं कुलम् अत्यन्यान्पृथिवीपालान्पृथिव्यामधिराज्यभाक्
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said : This our famous dynasty, endued with every virtue and accomplishment, has all along ruled over all other kings on earth.
रक्षितं राजभिः पूर्वैर्धर्मविद्भिर्महात्मभिः नोत्सादमगमच्चेदं कदाचिदिह नः कुलम्
AI Translation: Protected by the kings of old, the wise and noble ones, Our family has never been destroyed in this world.
मया च सत्यवत्या च कृष्णेन च महात्मना समवस्थापितं भूयो युष्मासु कुलतन्तुषु
AI Translation: By me, Satyavati, and the great-souled Krishna, it has been re-established in your family lineage.
वर्धते तदिदं पुत्र कुलं सागरवद्यथा तथा मया विधातव्यं त्वया चैव विशेषतः
M. N. Dutt: It is certainly your duty and mine to take such steps as our this dynasty may expand as the sea. we
श्रूयते यादवी कन्या अनुरूपा कुलस्य नः सुबलस्यात्मजा चैव तथा मद्रेश्वरस्य च
M. N. Dutt: I have heard that the princess of the Yadavas, the daughter of Subala and the princess of Madra, are worthy of being allied to our dynasty.
कुलीना रूपवत्यश्च नाथवत्यश्च सर्वशः उचिताश्चैव संबन्धे तेऽस्माकं क्षत्रियर्षभाः
M. N. Dutt: O sons, all these maidens are the best of Kshatriyas; they are beautiful and of are birth; they are eminently fit for alliance with our family.
मन्ये वरयितव्यास्ता इत्यहं धीमतां वर संतानार्थं कुलस्यास्य यद्वा विदुर मन्यसे
M. N. Dutt: O foremost of intelligent men, Vidura, I think should chose them for the perpetuation of our race. Tell me what you think.
विदुर उवाच भवान्पिता भवान्माता भवान्नः परमो गुरुः तस्मात्स्वयं कुलस्यास्य विचार्य कुरु यद्धितम्
M. N. Dutt: Vidura said: You are our father, you are our mother, you are our great preceptor. You yourself do what you think proper for the welfare of this dynasty.
वैशंपायन उवाच अथ शुश्राव विप्रेभ्यो गान्धारीं सुबलात्मजाम् आराध्य वरदं देवं भगनेत्रहरं हरम् गान्धारी किल पुत्राणां शतं लेभे वरं शुभा
AI Translation: Vaishampayana said: Then he heard from the Brahmins about Gandhari, the daughter of Subala, who, having propitiated the god who grants boons, the destroyer of the eye of Bhaga, the god Shiva, had obtained a boon for her hundred
इति श्रुत्वा च तत्त्वेन भीष्मः कुरुपितामहः ततो गान्धारराजस्य प्रेषयामास भारत
AI Translation: Having heard this in truth, Bhishma, the grandfather of the Kurus, then sent to the king of Gandhara, O descendant of Bharata.
अचक्षुरिति तत्रासीत्सुबलस्य विचारणा कुलं ख्यातिं च वृत्तं च बुद्ध्या तु प्रसमीक्ष्य सः ददौ तां धृतराष्ट्राय गान्धारीं धर्मचारिणीम्
M. N. Dutt: But taking into consideration the noble blood, the fame and the conduct of the Kurus, he bestowed the virtuous Gandhari on Dhritarashtra.
गान्धारी त्वपि शुश्राव धृतराष्ट्रमचक्षुषम् आत्मानं दित्सितं चास्मै पित्रा मात्रा च भारत
AI Translation: Gandhāri also heard that Dhritarashtra, who was blind, had given himself to his father and mother, O descendant of the Bharata lineage.
ततः सा पट्टमादाय कृत्वा बहुगुणं शुभा बबन्ध नेत्रे स्वे राजन्पतिव्रतपरायणा नात्यश्नीयां पतिमहमित्येवं कृतनिश्चया
AI Translation: Then, taking a cloth, she made it very fine and auspicious. And, O king, she bound her eyes, being devoted to the vow of fidelity to her husband. "I shall not eat too much,"" thus determined.
ततो गान्धारराजस्य पुत्रः शकुनिरभ्ययात् स्वसारं परया लक्ष्म्या युक्तामादाय कौरवान्
AI Translation: Then Shakuni, the son of the king of Gandhara, came, taking his sister, who was endowed with supreme beauty, to the Kauravas.
Supplementary Passages:
1.103.14 After 14, N (except K4) ins.: *1110 तां तदा धृतराष्ट्राय ददौ परमसत्कृताम् भीष्मस्यानुमते चैव विवाहं समकारयत् S (except T1), on the other hand, ins. after 14: *1111 ततो विवाहं चक्रेऽस्या नक्षत्रे सर्वसंमते सौबलस्तु महाराजा शकुनिः प्रियदर्शनः
दत्त्वा स भगिनीं वीरो यथार्हं च परिच्छदम् पुनरायात्स्वनगरं भीष्मेण प्रतिपूजितः
M. N. Dutt: The nuptials were solemnised with the permission of Bhishma. The hero (Shakuni), giving away his sister with (many valuable) robes, returned to his own capital, after being duly worshipped by Bhishma.
गान्धार्यपि वरारोहा शीलाचारविचेष्टितैः तुष्टिं कुरूणां सर्वेषां जनयामास भारत
M. N. Dutt: O descendant of the Bharata race, the beautiful Gandhari pleased all the Kurus by her behaviour and respectful attentions.
वृत्तेनाराध्य तान्सर्वान्पतिव्रतपरायणा वाचापि पुरुषानन्यान्सुव्रता नान्वकीर्तयत्
M. N. Dutt: She, ever-devoted to her husband, pleased her superiors by her good conduct and vowobserving as she was, she never referred to other men even in words.
Supplementary Passages:
1.103.17 S (T1 om. line 1; M6-8 om. lines 1-2) ins. before 17 (G5, om. lines 2-4, at the end of the adhy.): *1112 गान्धारी सा पतिं दृष्ट्वा प्रज्ञाचक्षुषमीश्वरम् अतिचाराद्भृशं भीता भर्तुः सा समचिन्तयत् सा दृष्टिविनिवृत्तापि भर्तुश्च समतां ययौ न हि सूक्ष्मेऽप्यतीचारे भर्तुः सा ववृते तदा D4 (marg. sec. m.) S ins. after 17 (G5, om. lines 3-5, after 1112*): *1113 तस्याः सहोदराः कन्याः पुनरेव ददौ दश गान्धारराजः सुबलो भीष्मेण वरितस्तदा सत्यव्रतां सत्यसेनां सुदेष्णां च सुसंहिताम् तेजःश्रवां सुश्रवां च तथैव निकृतिं शुभाम् शंभुवां च दशार्णां च गान्धारीर्दश विश्रुताः एकाह्ना प्रतिजग्राह धृतराष्ट्रो जनेश्वरः ततः शांतनवो भीष्मो धनुष्क्रीतास्ततस्ततः अददाद्धृतराष्ट्राय राजपुत्रीः परः शतम्