Critical Edition
कुन्त्युवाच भगवञ्श्वशुरो मेऽसि दैवतस्यापि दैवतम् स मे देवातिदेवस्त्वं शृणु सत्यां गिरं मम
M. N. Dutt: Kunti said O holy one, you are my father-in-law and, therefore, my deity of deities. You are my god of gods. Hear my words of truth.
तपस्वी कोपनो विप्रो दुर्वासा नाम मे पितुः भिक्षामुपागतो भोक्तुं तमहं पर्यतोषयम्
AI Translation: My father had a brahmin named Durvāsas, an ascetic and an angry man. He came to beg for alms and I satisfied him.
शौचेन त्वागसस्त्यागैः शुद्धेन मनसा तथा कोपस्थानेष्वपि महत्स्वकुप्यं न कदाचन
AI Translation: By purity, by giving up anger, by purity of mind, And by not getting angry even when there is a great cause for anger,
स मे वरमदात्प्रीतः कृतमित्यहमब्रुवम् अवश्यं ते ग्रहीतव्यमिति मां सोऽब्रवीद्वचः
M. N. Dutt: Served with care, the great ascetic became highly pleased with me and disposed to grant me a boon. 'You must accept the boon I shall give,' were his words to me.
Supplementary Passages:
15.38.4 For 4ab, B1.4-6 Dn D1-3.7.9 subst.: *65 स प्रीतो वरदो मेऽभूत्कृतकृत्यो महामुनिः After 4, K1.2 ins.: *66 तमहं भयसंविग्ना याचे सानुनयं द्विजम्
ततः शापभयाद्विप्रमवोचं पुनरेव तम् एवमस्त्विति च प्राह पुनरेव स मां द्विजः
AI Translation: Then, out of fear of a curse, I again spoke to the brahmin: "Let it be so," the brahmin again said to me.
धर्मस्य जननी भद्रे भवित्री त्वं वरानने वशे स्थास्यन्ति ते देवा यांस्त्वमावाहयिष्यसि
AI Translation: O fortunate one, you will become the mother of Dharma, O you of an excellent face. The gods whom you will invoke will be under your control.
इत्युक्त्वान्तर्हितो विप्रस्ततोऽहं विस्मिताभवम् न च सर्वास्ववस्थासु स्मृतिर्मे विप्रणश्यति
M. N. Dutt: Having said these words, the twice-born one vanished away from my sight. I becamefilled with wonder. The Mantra, however, which the Rishi gave has lived in my memory at all times.
अथ हर्म्यतलस्थाहं रविमुद्यन्तमीक्षती संस्मृत्य तदृषेर्वाक्यं स्पृहयन्ती दिवाकरम् स्थिताहं बालभावेन तत्र दोषमबुध्यती
M. N. Dutt: One day, sitting with my chamber I saw the sun rising. Desiring to bring the maker of day before me, I recollected the words of the Rishi.
अथ देवः सहस्रांशुर्मत्समीपगतोऽभवत् द्विधा कृत्वात्मनो देहं भूमौ च गगनेऽपि च तताप लोकानेकेन द्वितीयेनागमच्च माम्
M. N. Dutt: He divided himself in two parts. With one portion he was in the sky, and with the other he stood on the Earth before me. With one he hearted the worlds and with another he came to came me.
स मामुवाच वेपन्तीं वरं मत्तो वृणीष्व ह गम्यतामिति तं चाहं प्रणम्य शिरसावदम्
M. N. Dutt: He told me, while I was trembling at his sight, these words:-Do you ask a boon of me.' Bowing to him with my head I asked him to leave me.
स मामुवाच तिग्मांशुर्वृथाह्वानं न ते क्षमम् धक्ष्यामि त्वां च विप्रं च येन दत्तो वरस्तव
M. N. Dutt: He replied to me, saying, 'I cannot bear the idea of coming to you fruitlessly, I shall consume you as also that Brahmana who gave you the Mantra as a boon.
तमहं रक्षती विप्रं शापादनपराधिनम् पुत्रो मे त्वत्समो देव भवेदिति ततोऽब्रुवम्
M. N. Dutt: I wished to protect, from Surya's curse, the Brahmana who had done no evil. I, therefore, said, 'Let me have a son like you, O god.'
ततो मां तेजसाविश्य मोहयित्वा च भानुमान् उवाच भविता पुत्रस्तवेत्यभ्यगमद्दिवम्
M. N. Dutt: The deity o. thousand rays then entered me with his energy and stupefied me completely. He then said to me, 'You will have a son, and then returned to the firmament.
ततोऽहमन्तर्भवने पितुर्वृत्तान्तरक्षिणी गूढोत्पन्नं सुतं बालं जले कर्णमवासृजम्
M. N. Dutt: I continued to live in the inner apartments and desirous of saving the honour of my father, I cast into the waters my infant son named Karna who thus came into the world secretly.
नूनं तस्यैव देवस्य प्रसादात्पुनरेव तु कन्याहमभवं विप्र यथा प्राह स मामृषिः
M. N. Dutt: Forsooth, through the grace of that god, I once more became a virgin, Otwice-born one, even as the Rishi Durvasas he said to me.
स मया मूढया पुत्रो ज्ञायमानोऽप्युपेक्षितः तन्मां दहति विप्रर्षे यथा सुविदितं तव
M. N. Dutt: Foolish that I am, although he knew me for his mother when he grew up, yet I did not try to acknowledge him. This burns me, O Rishi, as is well-known to you.
यदि पापमपापं वा तदेतद्विवृतं मया तन्मे भयं त्वं भगवन्व्यपनेतुमिहार्हसि
M. N. Dutt: Whether it is sinful or not so, I have told you the truth. You should. O holy one, satisfy the craving I feel for seeing that son of mine.
यच्चास्य राज्ञो विदितं हृदिस्थं भवतोऽनघ तं चायं लभतां काममद्यैव मुनिसत्तम
M. N. Dutt: O foremost of ascetics, let this king also, O sinless one, obtain the fruition today of that desire of his which he cherishes in his bosom and which has become known to you.'
इत्युक्तः प्रत्युवाचेदं व्यासो वेदविदां वरः साधु सर्वमिदं तथ्यमेवमेव यथात्थ माम्
M. N. Dutt: are Thus addressed by Kunti, Vyasa, that foremost of all persons, said to her in reply, "Blessed be you, all that you have said to me will happen.
Supplementary Passages:
15.38.19 After 19, M1 ins.: *67 स्थित्यर्थं तेन देवेन बुद्धिस्ते परिवर्तिता
अपराधश्च ते नास्ति कन्याभावं गता ह्यसि देवाश्चैश्वर्यवन्तो वै शरीराण्याविशन्ति वै
M. N. Dutt: You are not a biame at all. You were restored to virginity. The deities are possessed of (Yoga) power. They are able enter human bodies.
सन्ति देवनिकायाश्च संकल्पाज्जनयन्ति ये वाचा दृष्ट्या तथा स्पर्शात्संघर्षेणेति पञ्चधा
M. N. Dutt: There many deities. They beget (offspring) by thought alone. By word, by sight, by touch, and by sexual union, also, they beget children. These are the five methods.
मनुष्यधर्मो दैवेन धर्मेण न हि युज्यते इति कुन्ति व्यजानीहि व्येतु ते मानसो ज्वरः
M. N. Dutt: You belong to the order of humanity. You have no fault. Know this, O Kunti! Let the fever of your heart be removed.
सर्वं बलवतां पथ्यं सर्वं बलवतां शुचि सर्वं बलवतां धर्मः सर्वं बलवतां स्वकम्
M. N. Dutt: Everything is becoming for those who are mighty. Everything is pure for those that are mighty. Everything is meritorious for those that are mighty. Everything is their own for those who are mighty.