Mahabharata (English)

by Kisari Mohan Ganguli | 2,566,952 words | ISBN-10: 8121505933

The English translation of the Mahabharata is a large text describing ancient India. It is authored by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa and contains the records of ancient humans. Also, it documents the fate of the Kauravas and the Pandavas family. Another part of the large contents, deal with many philosophical dialogues such as the goals of life. Book...

Vaisampayana said, "It was, O lord of earth, on the first day of the lighted fortnight during the tenth month of the year that Pritha conceived a son like the lord himself of the stars in the firmament. And that damsel of excellent hips from fear of her friends, concealed her conception, so that no one knew her condition. And as the damsel lived entirely in the apartments assigned to the maidens and carefully concealed her condition, no one except her nurse knew the truth.

And in due time that beauteous maiden, by the grace of deity, brought forth a son resembling a very god. And even like his father, the child was equipped in a coat of mail, and decked with brilliant ear-rings. And he was possessed of leonine eyes and shoulders like those of a bull.

And no sooner was the beauteous girl delivered of a child, then she consulted with her nurse and placed the infant in a commodious and smooth box made of wicker work and spread over with soft sheets and furnished with a costly pillow. And its surface was laid over with wax, and it was encased in a rich cover. And with tears in her eyes, she carried the infant to the river Asva, and consigned the basket to its waters. And although she knew it to be improper for an unmarried girl to bear offspring, yet from parental affection, O foremost of kings, she wept piteously.

Do you listen to the words Kunti weepingly uttered, while consigning the box to the waters of the river Asva,

'O child, may good betide you at the hands of all that inhabit the land, the water, the sky, and the celestial regions. May all your paths be auspicious! May no one obstruct your way! And, O son, may all that come across you have their hearts divested of hostility towards you: And may that lord of waters, Varuna. protect you in water! And may the deity that ranges the skies completely protect you in the sky.

And may, O son, that best of those that impart heat, viz., Surya, your father, and from whom I have obtained you as ordained by Destiny, protect you everywhere! And may the Adityas and the Vasus, the Rudras and the Sadhyas, the Visvadevas and the Maruts, and the cardinal points with the great Indra and the regents presiding over them, and, indeed, all the celestials, protect you in every place! Even in foreign lands I shall be able to recognise you by this mail of thine! Surely, your sire, O son, the divine Surya possessed of the wealth of splendour, is blessed, for he will with his celestial sight behold you going down the current!

Blessed also is that lady who will, O you that are begotten by a god, take you for her son, and who will give you suck when you are thirsty! And what a lucky dream has been dreamt by her that will adopt you for her son, you that is endued with solar splendour, and furnished with celestial mail, and adorned with celestial ear-rings, you that hast expansive eyes resembling lotuses, a complexion bright as burnished copper or lotus leaves, a fair forehead, and hair ending in beautiful curls!

O son, she that will behold you crawl on the ground, begrimed with dust, and sweetly uttering inarticulate words, is surely blessed! And she also, O son, that will behold you arrive at your youthful prime like maned lion born in Himalayan forests, is surely blessed!'"

(Vaisampayana continued, ) "O king, having thus bewailed long and piteously, Pritha laid the basket on the waters of the river Asva. And the lotus-eyed damsel, afflicted with grief on account of her son and weeping bitterly, with her nurse cast the basket at dead of night, and though desirous of beholding her son often and again, returned, O monarch, to the palate, fearing lest her father should come to know of what had happened.

Meanwhile, the basket floated from the river Asva to the river Carmanvati, and from the Carmanvati it passed to the Yamuna, and so on to the Ganga. And carried by the waves of the Ganga, the child contained in the basket came to the city of Champa ruled by a person of the Suta tribe. Indeed, the excellent coat of mail and those ear-rings made of Amrita that were born with his body, as also the ordinance of Destiny, kept the child alive."

Conclusion:

This concludes Section CCCVI of Book 3 (Vana Parva) of the Mahabharata, of which an English translation is presented on this page. This book is famous as one of the Itihasa, similair in content to the eighteen Puranas. Book 3 is one of the eighteen books comprising roughly 100,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.

FAQ (frequently asked questions):

Which keywords occur in Section CCCVI of Book 3 of the Mahabharata?

The most relevant definitions are: Asva, Vaisampayana, Surya, Ganga, Carmanvati, Pritha; since these occur the most in Book 3, Section CCCVI. There are a total of 19 unique keywords found in this section mentioned 27 times.

What is the name of the Parva containing Section CCCVI of Book 3?

Section CCCVI is part of the Pativrata-mahatmya Parva which itself is a sub-section of Book 3 (Vana Parva). The Pativrata-mahatmya Parva contains a total of 17 sections while Book 3 contains a total of 13 such Parvas.

Can I buy a print edition of Section CCCVI as contained in Book 3?

Yes! The print edition of the Mahabharata contains the English translation of Section CCCVI of Book 3 and can be bought on the main page. The author is Kisari Mohan Ganguli and the latest edition (including Section CCCVI) is from 2012.

Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: