जनमेजय उवाच किं तद् गुह्यं न चाख्यातं कर्णायेहोष्णरश्मिना। कीदृशे कुण्डले ते च कवचं चैव कीदृशम्॥१ कुतश्च कवचं तस्य कुण्डले चैव सत्तम। एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं तन्मे ब्रूहि तपोधन॥
Janamejaya said : What was that secret which the god of hot rays did not give out to Karna? Of what nature were that coat of mail and those two ear-rings? Orighteous one, where did that armour and those two ear-rings of his spring from? O being whose wealth is devotion, I am curious to learn all this. Therefore relate to me all this.
वैशम्पायन उवाच अयं राजन् ब्रवीम्येतत् तस्य गुह्यं विभावसोः। यादृशे कुण्डले ते च कवचं चैव यादृशम्॥
Vaishampayana said : O king, I am now relating to you the secret of the god having his rays for wealth and also of what sort the armour and the pair of earrings were.
कुन्तिभोज पुरा राजन् ब्राह्मणः पर्युपस्थितः। तिग्मतेजा महाप्रांशुः श्मश्रुदण्डजटाधरः॥
Formerly, O monarch, there came a highlyenergetic Brahmana to Kuntibhoja. He was tall in stature, wore beard and matted locks, carried a staff in his hand.
दर्शनीयोऽनवद्याङ्गस्तेजसा प्रज्वलनिव। मधुपिङ्गो मधुरवाक् तप:स्वाध्यायभूषणः॥
Was agreeable to look at and of faultless proportions and seemed as if burning in splendour. His complexion was yellow and he spoke sweet words. He was possessed of devotion and he studied the Vedas.
स राजानं कुन्तिभोजमब्रवीत् सुमहातपाः। भिक्षामिच्छामि वै भोक्तुं तव गेहे विमत्सर॥
That Brahmana of great and excellent devotion said to king Kuntibhoja "O being that is free from pride, I am desirous of eating at your house (the food) obtained as alms.
न मे व्यलीकं कर्तव्यं त्वया वा तव चानुगैः। एवं वत्स्यामि ते गेहे यदि ते रोचतेऽनघ॥
I can, if you like it, dwell at your house under the condition that neither you nor your attendants will cross me in any way.
यथाकामं च गच्छेयमागच्छेयं तथैव च। शय्यासने च मे राजन् नापराध्येत कश्चन॥
I will go out and come in at my pleasure. And O king, with regard to my food or bed no body shall disturb me."
तमब्रवीत् कुन्तिभोजः प्रीतियुक्तमिदं वचः। एवमस्तु परं चेति पुनश्चैनमथाब्रवीत्॥
(Then) Kuntibhoja gladly said these words "be it so and even more than this.” And he told him again thus.
मम कन्या महाप्राज्ञ पृथा नाम यशस्विनी। शीलवृत्तान्विता साध्वी नियता चैव भाविनी॥
"O highly wise one, I have a renowned daughter, Pritha by name. That damsel is endowed with good manners, is observant of vows, chaste and self-controlled.
उपस्थास्यति सा त्वां वै पूजयानवमन्य च। तस्याश्च शीलवृत्तेन तुष्टिं समुपयास्यसि॥
She, without despising you, will wait on you and minister to your comforts. And you also will be pleased with her (graceful) manners.”
एवमुक्त्वा तु तं विप्रमभिपूज्य यथाविधि। उवाच कन्यामभ्येत्य पृथां पृथुललोचनाम्॥
Saying this and duly worshipping that Brahmana, he (the king) went to his daughter Pritha, endued with large eyes and said to her thus,
अयं वत्से महाभागो ब्राह्मणो वस्तुमिच्छति। मम गेहे मया चास्य तथेत्येवं प्रतिश्रुतम्॥
"This highly fortunate Brahmana, O child, wishes to dwell in my house. I have promised hiin this saying “be it so."
त्वयि वत्से पराश्वस्य ब्राह्मणस्याभिराधनम्। तन्मे वाक्यममिथ्या त्वं कर्तुमर्हसि कर्हिचित्॥
O child, you will minister to this Brahimana with great skill. And you will act in such a way as not to belie my words.
अयं तपस्वी भगवान् स्वाध्यायनियतो द्विजः। यद् यद् ब्रूयान्महातेजास्तत्तद् देयममत्सरात्॥
What this highly-energetic, reverend and ascetic twice-born one devoted to the study of the Vedas, asks for, will be given him without and pride.
ब्राह्मणो हि परं तेजो ब्राह्मणो हि परं तपः। ब्राह्मणानां नमस्कारैः सूर्यो दिवि विराजते॥
A Brahmana represents the highest energy and the highest devotion, and it is in virtue of the devoutness of the Brahmanas that the sun shines in the heavens.
अमानयन् हि मानार्हान् वातापिश्च महासुरः। निहतो ब्रह्मदण्डेन तालजङ्घस्तथैव च।॥
Disregarding those that deserve honour, the great Asura, Vatapi, as well Talajangha, met with destruction by virtue of the curse of the Brahmanas.
सोऽयं वत्से महाभार आहितस्त्वयि साम्प्रतम्। त्वं सदा नियता कुर्या ब्राह्मणस्याभिराधनम्॥
O child, now this highly fortunate one is entrusted to your care. You should be particularly careful in ministering to him.
जानामि प्रणिधानं ते बाल्यात् प्रभृति नन्दिनि। ब्राह्मणेष्विह सर्वेषु गुरुबन्धुषु चैव ह॥ तथा प्रेष्येषु सर्वेषु मित्रसम्बन्धिमातृषु। मयि चैव यथावत् त्वं सर्वमावृत्य वर्तसे॥
O daughter, I am aware, that since your very infancy you have been ever attentive to the Brahmanas, all your superiors, all the servants, friends, relations, your mothers and myself. You have a proper regard for every one.
न हतुष्टो जनोऽस्तीह पुरे चान्तःपुरे च ते। सम्यग्वृत्त्यानवद्याङ्गि तव भृत्यजनेष्वपि॥
O girl of faultless proportions, on account of your good dealings no one in the city or in the palace, even none of your servants, is displeased with you.
संदेष्टव्यां तु मन्ये त्वां द्विजाति कोफ्नं प्रति। पृथे बालेति कृत्वा वै सुता चासि ममेति च॥
I have, therefore, thought you fit for the ministration of the Brahmanas, who as a rule, are of irritable temper. O Pritha, you are a girl (yet) and my daughter by adoption.
वृष्णीनां च कुले जाता शूरस्य दयिता सुता। दत्ता प्रीतिमता मह्यं पित्रा बाला पुरा स्वयम्॥
You have sprung from the race of the Vrishnis and are the beloved daughter of Shura. Formerly, your father himself gladly mmade you over to me.
वसुदेवस्य भगिनी सुतानां प्रवरा मम। अग्र्यमग्रे प्रतिज्ञाय तेनासि दुहिता मम॥
You are the sister of Vasudeva and the foremost of my daughter. You are my daughter in virtue of the promises made by your father that he should give his first born to me.
तादृशे हि कुले जाता कुले चैव विवर्धिता। सुखात् सुखमनुप्राप्ता ह्रदाद्धदमिवागता।॥
Born in such a line and brought up in this race, you have like a lotus, transferred from one lake to another, attained to one blissful state from another.
दौष्कुलेया विशेषेण कथंचित् प्रग्रहं गताः। बालभावाद् विकुर्वन्ति प्रायशः प्रमदाः शुभे॥
O beautiful girl, women, especially those that are born in low families, although they are with great difficulty kept under restraint, are generally of deformed character on account of their unripe age.
पृथे राजकुले जन्म रूपं चापि तवाद्भुतम्। तेन तेनासि सम्पन्ना समुपेता च भाविनी॥
O Pritha, you have been born in a kingly line and you are gifted with a wonderful beauty. And O girl, you are graced with every accomplishment.
सा त्वं दर्पं परित्यज्य दम्भं मानं च भाविनि। आराध्य वरदं विप्रं श्रेयसा योक्ष्यसे पृथे॥
So, O damsel, O Pritha, giving up your pride, haughtiness and the sense of your high position, you will minister to this Brahmana capable of bestowing boons. In that case you will surely be blessed.
एवं प्राप्स्यसि कल्याणि कल्याणमनघे ध्रुवम्। कोपिते च द्विजश्रेष्ठे कृत्स्नं दह्येत मे कुलम्॥
By acting in such a way, O auspicious and sinless girl, you will certainly attain to blissfulness. But if you stir up the wrath of this foremost of the twice born ones, he will consume my entire race."