Second Skandha · Chapter 3
Sourceउत्पत्तिस्तु त्वया प्रोक्ता व्यासस्यामिततेजसः ।। सत्यवत्यास्तथा सूत विस्तरेण त्वयाऽनघ ।। १ ।। तथाऽप्येकस्तु संदेहश्चित्तेऽस्माकं सुसंस्थितः ।। न निवर्तति धर्मज्ञ कथितेन त्वयाऽनघ ।। २ ।। माता व्यासस्य या प्रोक्ता नाम्ना सत्यवती शुभा ।। सा कथं नृपतिं प्राप्ता शंतुनुं धर्मवित्तमम् ।।३।। निषादपुत्रीं स कथं वृतवान्नृपतिः स्वयम् ।। धर्मिष्ठः पौरवो राजा कुलहीनामसंवृत्ताम् ।। ४ ।। शंतनोः प्रथमा पत्नी का ह्यभूत्कथयाधुना ।। भीष्मः पुत्रोऽथ मेधावी वसोरंशः कथं पुनः ।। ५ ।। त्वया प्रोक्तं पुरा सूत राजा चित्रांगदः कृतः ।। सत्यवत्याः सुतो वीरो भीष्मेणामित तेजसा ।। ६ ।। चित्रांगदे हते वीरे कृतस्तदनुजस्तथा ।। विचित्रवीर्यनामाऽसौ सत्यवत्याः सुतो नृपः ।। ७ ।। ज्येष्ठे भीष्मे स्थिते पूर्वे धमिष्ठं रूपवत्यपि ।। कृतवान्स कथं राज्यं स्थापितस्तेन जानता ।। ८ ।। मृते विचित्रवीर्ये तु सत्यवत्यतिदुःखिता ।। वधूभ्यां गोलकौ पुत्रौ जनयामास सा कथम् ।। ९ ।। कथं राज्यं न भीष्माय ददौ सा वरवर्णिनी ।। न कृतस्तु कथं तेन वीरेण दारसंग्रहः ।। 2.3.१० ।। अधर्मस्तु कृतः कस्माद्व्यासेनामिततेजसा ।। ज्येष्ठेन भ्रातृभार्यायां पुत्रानुत्पादिताविति ।। ११ ।। पुराणकर्ता धर्मात्मा स कथं कृतवान्मुनिः ।। सेवनं परदाराणां भ्रातुश्चैव विशेषतः ।। १२ ।। जुगुप्सितमिदं कर्म स कथं कृतवान्मुनिः ।। शिष्टाचारः कथं सूत वेदानुमितिकारक ।। १३ ।। व्यास शिष्योऽसि मेधाविन्संदेहं छेत्तुमर्हसि ।। श्रोतुकामा वयं सर्वे धर्मक्षेत्रे कृतक्षणाः ।। १४ ।। सूत उवाच ।। इक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभवो महाभिष इति स्मृतः ।। सत्यवान्धर्मशीलश्च चक्रवर्ती नृपोत्तमः ।। १५ ।। अश्वमेधसहस्रेण वाजपेयशतेन च ।। तोषयामास देवेंद्रं स्वर्गं प्राप महामतिः । ।। १६ ।। एकदा ब्रह्मसदनं गतो राजा महाभिषः ।। सुराः सर्वे समाजग्मुः सेवनार्थं प्रजापतिम् ।। १७ ।। गंगा महानदी तत्र संस्थिता सेवितुं विभुम् ।। तस्या वासः समुद्धूतं मारुतेन तरस्विना ।। १८ ।। अधोमुखाः सुराः सर्वे न विलोक्यैव तां स्थिताः ।। राजा महाभिषस्तां तु निःशंकः समपश्यत ।। १९ ।। साऽपि तं प्रेमसंयुक्तं नृपं ज्ञातवती नदी ।। दृष्ट्वा तौ प्रेमसंयुक्तौ निर्लज्जौ काममोहितौ ।।2.3.२०।। ब्रह्मा चुकोप तौ तूर्णं शशाप च रुषाऽन्वितः ।। मर्त्यलोकेषु भूपाल जन्म प्राप्य पुनर्दिवम् ।। २१ ।। पुण्येन महताऽऽविष्टस्त्वमवाप्स्यसि सर्वथा ।। गंगां तथोक्तवान्ब्रह्मा वीक्ष्य प्रेमवतीं नृपे ।। २२ ।। विमनस्कौ तु तौ तूर्णं निःसृतौ ब्रह्मणोंऽतिकात् ।। स नृपश्चिंतयित्वाऽथ भूलोके धर्मतत्परान् ।। २३ ।। प्रतीपं चिंतयामास पितरं पुरुवंशजम् ।। एतस्मिन्समये चाष्टौ वसवः स्त्रीसमन्विताः ।। २४ ।। वसिष्ठस्याऽऽश्रमं प्राप्ता रममाणा यदृच्छया ।। पृथ्वादीनां वसूनां च मध्ये कोऽपि वसूत्तमः ।। २५ ।। द्यौर्नामा तस्य भार्याऽथ नंदिनीं गां ददर्श ह ।। दृष्ट्वा पतिं सा पप्रच्छ कस्येयं धेनुरुत्तमा ।। २६ ।। द्यौस्तामाह वसिष्ठस्य गौरियं शृणु सुंदरि ।। दुग्धमस्याः पिबेद्यस्तु नारी वा पुरषोऽथ वा ।। २७ ।। अयुतायुर्भवेन्यूनं सदैवाऽगतयौवनः ।। तच्छ्रुत्वा सुंदरी प्राह मृत्युलोकेऽस्ति मे सखी ।। २८ ।। उशीनरस्य राजर्षेः पुत्री परमशोभना ।। तस्या हेतोर्महाभाग सवत्सां गां पयस्विनीम्।।२९।। आनयस्वाऽऽश्रमश्रेष्ठं नंदिनीं कामदां शुभाम् ।। यावदस्याः पयः पीत्वा सखी मम सदैव हि ।। 2.3.३० ।। मानुषेषु भवेदेका जरारोगविवर्जिता ।। तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्या द्यौर्जहार च नंदिनीम् ।। ३१ ।। अवमन्य मुनिं दांतं पृथ्वाद्यैः सहितोऽनघः ।। हृतायामथ नंदिन्यां वसिष्ठस्तु महातपाः ।। ३२ ।। आजगामाऽऽश्रमपदं फलान्यादाय सत्वरः ।। नापश्यत यदा धेनुं सवत्सां स्वाश्रमे मुनिः ।। ३३ ।। मृगयामास तेजस्वी गह्वरेषु वनेष्वपि ।। नासादिता यदा धेनुश्चुकोपातिशयं मुनिः ।। ३४ ।। वारुणिश्चापि विज्ञाय ध्यानेन वसुभिर्हृताम् ।। वसुभिर्मे हृता धेनुर्यस्मान्मामवमन्य वै ।। ३५ ।। तस्मात्सर्वे जनिष्यंति मानुषेषु न संशयः ।। एवं शशाप धर्मात्मा वसूंस्तान्वारुणिः स्वयम् ।। ३६ ।। श्रुत्वा विमनसः सर्वे प्रययुर्दुःखिताश्च ते ।। शप्ताः स्म इति जानंत ऋषिं तमुपचक्रमुः ।। ३७ ।। प्रसादयंतस्तमृषिं वसव शरणं गताः ।। मुनिस्तानाह धर्मात्मा वसून्दीनान्पुरः स्थितान् ।। ३८ ।। अनुसंवत्सरं सर्वे शापमोक्षमवाप्स्यथ ।। येनेयं विहृता धेनुर्नंदिनी मम वत्सला ।। ३९ ।। तस्माद्द्यौर्मानुषे देहे दीर्घकालं वसिष्यति ।। ते शप्ताः पथि गच्छतीं गंगां दृष्ट्वा सरिद्वराम्।।2.3.४०।। ऊचुस्तां प्रणताः सर्वे शप्तां चिंतातुरां नदीम् ।। भविष्यामो वयं देवि कथं देवाः सुधाशनाः ।। ४१ ।। मानुषाणां च जठरं चिंतेयं महती हि नः ।। तस्मात्त्वं मानुषी भूत्वा जनयास्मान्सरिद्वरे ।। ४२ ।। शंतनुर्नाम राजर्षिस्तस्य भार्या भवानघे ।। जाताञ्जाताञ्जले चास्मान्निक्षिपस्व सुरापगे ।। ४३ ।। एवं शापविनिर्मोक्षो भविता नात्र संशयः ।। तथेत्युक्ताश्च ते सर्वे जग्मुर्लोकं स्वकं पुनः ।। ४४ ।। गंगाऽपि निर्गता देवी चिंत्यमाना पुनः पुनः ।। महाभिषो नृपो जातः प्रतीपस्य सुतस्तदा ।। ४५ ।। शंतनुर्नाम राजर्षिर्धर्मात्मा सत्यसंगरः ।। प्रतीपस्तु स्तुतिं चक्रे सूर्यस्यामिततेजसः ।। ४६ ।। तदा च सलिलात्तस्मान्निःसृता वरवर्णिनी ।। दक्षिणं शालसंकाशमूरुं भेजे शुभानना ।। ४७ ।। अंके स्थितां स्त्रियं चाह मापृष्ट्वा किं वरानने ।। ममोरावास्थिताऽसि त्वं किमर्थं दक्षिणे शुभे ।। ४८ ।। सा तमाह वरारोहा यदर्थं राजसत्तम ।। स्थिताऽस्म्यंके कुरुश्रेष्ठ कामयानां भजस्व माम् ।। ४९ ।। तामवोचदथो राजा रूपयौवनशालिनीम् ।। नाहं परस्त्रियं कामाद्गच्छेयं वरवर्णिनीम् ।। 2.3.५० ।। स्थिता दक्षिणमूरुं मे त्वमाश्लिष्य च भामिनि ।। अपत्यानां स्नुषाणां च स्थानं विद्धि शुचिस्मिते ।। ५१ ।। स्नुषा मे भव कल्याणि जाते पुत्रेऽतिवाञ्छिते ।। भविष्यति च मे पुत्रस्तव पुण्यान्न संशयः ।। ५२ ।। तथेत्युक्ता गता सा वै कामिनी दिव्य दर्शना ।। राजा चापि गृहं प्राप्तश्चिंतयंस्तां स्त्रियं पुनः ।। ५३ ।। ततः कालेन कियता जाते पुत्रे वयस्विनि ।। वनं जिगमिषू राजा पुत्रं वृत्तांतमूचिवान् ।। ५४ ।। वृत्तांतं कथयित्वा तु पुनरूचे निजं सुतम् ।। यदि प्रयाति सा बाला त्वां वने चारुहासिनी ।।५५।। कामयाना वरारोहा ता भजेथा मनोरमाम् ।। न प्रष्टव्या त्वया काऽसि मन्नियोगान्नराधिप ।। ५६ ।। धर्मपत्नीं च तां कृत्वा भविता त्वं सुखी किल ।। सूत उवाच ।। एवं संदिश्य तं पुत्रं भूपतिः प्रीतमानसः ।। ५७ ।। दत्त्वा राज्यश्रियं सर्वां वनं राजा विवेश ह ।। तत्रापि च तपस्तप्त्वा समाराध्य परांबिकाम् ।। ५८ ।। जगाम स्वर्गं राजाऽसौ देहं त्यक्त्वा स्वतेजसा ।। राज्यं प्राप महातेजाः शंतनुः सार्वभौमिकम् ।। ५९ ।। प्रजां वै पालयामास धर्मदंडो महीपतिः ।। 2.3.६० ।।
utpattistu tvayā proktā vyāsasyāmitatejasaḥ || satyavatyāstathā sūta vistareṇa tvayā'nagha || 1 || tathā'pyekastu saṃdehaścitte'smākaṃ susaṃsthitaḥ || na nivartati dharmajña kathitena tvayā'nagha || 2 || mātā vyāsasya yā proktā nāmnā satyavatī śubhā || sā kathaṃ nṛpatiṃ prāptā śaṃtunuṃ dharmavittamam ||3|| niṣādaputrīṃ sa kathaṃ vṛtavānnṛpatiḥ svayam || dharmiṣṭhaḥ pauravo rājā kulahīnāmasaṃvṛttām || 4 || śaṃtanoḥ prathamā patnī kā hyabhūtkathayādhunā || bhīṣmaḥ putro'tha medhāvī vasoraṃśaḥ kathaṃ punaḥ || 5 || tvayā proktaṃ purā sūta rājā citrāṃgadaḥ kṛtaḥ || satyavatyāḥ suto vīro bhīṣmeṇāmita tejasā || 6 || citrāṃgade hate vīre kṛtastadanujastathā || vicitravīryanāmā'sau satyavatyāḥ suto nṛpaḥ || 7 || jyeṣṭhe bhīṣme sthite pūrve dhamiṣṭhaṃ rūpavatyapi || kṛtavānsa kathaṃ rājyaṃ sthāpitastena jānatā || 8 || mṛte vicitravīrye tu satyavatyatiduḥkhitā || vadhūbhyāṃ golakau putrau janayāmāsa sā katham || 9 || kathaṃ rājyaṃ na bhīṣmāya dadau sā varavarṇinī || na kṛtastu kathaṃ tena vīreṇa dārasaṃgrahaḥ || 2.3.10 || adharmastu kṛtaḥ kasmādvyāsenāmitatejasā || jyeṣṭhena bhrātṛbhāryāyāṃ putrānutpāditāviti || 11 || purāṇakartā dharmātmā sa kathaṃ kṛtavānmuniḥ || sevanaṃ paradārāṇāṃ bhrātuścaiva viśeṣataḥ || 12 || jugupsitamidaṃ karma sa kathaṃ kṛtavānmuniḥ || śiṣṭācāraḥ kathaṃ sūta vedānumitikāraka || 13 || vyāsa śiṣyo'si medhāvinsaṃdehaṃ chettumarhasi || śrotukāmā vayaṃ sarve dharmakṣetre kṛtakṣaṇāḥ || 14 || sūta uvāca || ikṣvākuvaṃśaprabhavo mahābhiṣa iti smṛtaḥ || satyavāndharmaśīlaśca cakravartī nṛpottamaḥ || 15 || aśvamedhasahasreṇa vājapeyaśatena ca || toṣayāmāsa deveṃdraṃ svargaṃ prāpa mahāmatiḥ | || 16 || ekadā brahmasadanaṃ gato rājā mahābhiṣaḥ || surāḥ sarve samājagmuḥ sevanārthaṃ prajāpatim || 17 || gaṃgā mahānadī tatra saṃsthitā sevituṃ vibhum || tasyā vāsaḥ samuddhūtaṃ mārutena tarasvinā || 18 || adhomukhāḥ surāḥ sarve na vilokyaiva tāṃ sthitāḥ || rājā mahābhiṣastāṃ tu niḥśaṃkaḥ samapaśyata || 19 || sā'pi taṃ premasaṃyuktaṃ nṛpaṃ jñātavatī nadī || dṛṣṭvā tau premasaṃyuktau nirlajjau kāmamohitau ||2.3.20|| brahmā cukopa tau tūrṇaṃ śaśāpa ca ruṣā'nvitaḥ || martyalokeṣu bhūpāla janma prāpya punardivam || 21 || puṇyena mahatā''viṣṭastvamavāpsyasi sarvathā || gaṃgāṃ tathoktavānbrahmā vīkṣya premavatīṃ nṛpe || 22 || vimanaskau tu tau tūrṇaṃ niḥsṛtau brahmaṇoṃ'tikāt || sa nṛpaściṃtayitvā'tha bhūloke dharmatatparān || 23 || pratīpaṃ ciṃtayāmāsa pitaraṃ puruvaṃśajam || etasminsamaye cāṣṭau vasavaḥ strīsamanvitāḥ || 24 || vasiṣṭhasyā''śramaṃ prāptā ramamāṇā yadṛcchayā || pṛthvādīnāṃ vasūnāṃ ca madhye ko'pi vasūttamaḥ || 25 || dyaurnāmā tasya bhāryā'tha naṃdinīṃ gāṃ dadarśa ha || dṛṣṭvā patiṃ sā papraccha kasyeyaṃ dhenuruttamā || 26 || dyaustāmāha vasiṣṭhasya gauriyaṃ śṛṇu suṃdari || dugdhamasyāḥ pibedyastu nārī vā puraṣo'tha vā || 27 || ayutāyurbhavenyūnaṃ sadaivā'gatayauvanaḥ || tacchrutvā suṃdarī prāha mṛtyuloke'sti me sakhī || 28 || uśīnarasya rājarṣeḥ putrī paramaśobhanā || tasyā hetormahābhāga savatsāṃ gāṃ payasvinīm||29|| ānayasvā''śramaśreṣṭhaṃ naṃdinīṃ kāmadāṃ śubhām || yāvadasyāḥ payaḥ pītvā sakhī mama sadaiva hi || 2.3.30 || mānuṣeṣu bhavedekā jarārogavivarjitā || tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasyā dyaurjahāra ca naṃdinīm || 31 || avamanya muniṃ dāṃtaṃ pṛthvādyaiḥ sahito'naghaḥ || hṛtāyāmatha naṃdinyāṃ vasiṣṭhastu mahātapāḥ || 32 || ājagāmā''śramapadaṃ phalānyādāya satvaraḥ || nāpaśyata yadā dhenuṃ savatsāṃ svāśrame muniḥ || 33 || mṛgayāmāsa tejasvī gahvareṣu vaneṣvapi || nāsāditā yadā dhenuścukopātiśayaṃ muniḥ || 34 || vāruṇiścāpi vijñāya dhyānena vasubhirhṛtām || vasubhirme hṛtā dhenuryasmānmāmavamanya vai || 35 || tasmātsarve janiṣyaṃti mānuṣeṣu na saṃśayaḥ || evaṃ śaśāpa dharmātmā vasūṃstānvāruṇiḥ svayam || 36 || śrutvā vimanasaḥ sarve prayayurduḥkhitāśca te || śaptāḥ sma iti jānaṃta ṛṣiṃ tamupacakramuḥ || 37 || prasādayaṃtastamṛṣiṃ vasava śaraṇaṃ gatāḥ || munistānāha dharmātmā vasūndīnānpuraḥ sthitān || 38 || anusaṃvatsaraṃ sarve śāpamokṣamavāpsyatha || yeneyaṃ vihṛtā dhenurnaṃdinī mama vatsalā || 39 || tasmāddyaurmānuṣe dehe dīrghakālaṃ vasiṣyati || te śaptāḥ pathi gacchatīṃ gaṃgāṃ dṛṣṭvā saridvarām||2.3.40|| ūcustāṃ praṇatāḥ sarve śaptāṃ ciṃtāturāṃ nadīm || bhaviṣyāmo vayaṃ devi kathaṃ devāḥ sudhāśanāḥ || 41 || mānuṣāṇāṃ ca jaṭharaṃ ciṃteyaṃ mahatī hi naḥ || tasmāttvaṃ mānuṣī bhūtvā janayāsmānsaridvare || 42 || śaṃtanurnāma rājarṣistasya bhāryā bhavānaghe || jātāñjātāñjale cāsmānnikṣipasva surāpage || 43 || evaṃ śāpavinirmokṣo bhavitā nātra saṃśayaḥ || tathetyuktāśca te sarve jagmurlokaṃ svakaṃ punaḥ || 44 || gaṃgā'pi nirgatā devī ciṃtyamānā punaḥ punaḥ || mahābhiṣo nṛpo jātaḥ pratīpasya sutastadā || 45 || śaṃtanurnāma rājarṣirdharmātmā satyasaṃgaraḥ || pratīpastu stutiṃ cakre sūryasyāmitatejasaḥ || 46 || tadā ca salilāttasmānniḥsṛtā varavarṇinī || dakṣiṇaṃ śālasaṃkāśamūruṃ bheje śubhānanā || 47 || aṃke sthitāṃ striyaṃ cāha māpṛṣṭvā kiṃ varānane || mamorāvāsthitā'si tvaṃ kimarthaṃ dakṣiṇe śubhe || 48 || sā tamāha varārohā yadarthaṃ rājasattama || sthitā'smyaṃke kuruśreṣṭha kāmayānāṃ bhajasva mām || 49 || tāmavocadatho rājā rūpayauvanaśālinīm || nāhaṃ parastriyaṃ kāmādgaccheyaṃ varavarṇinīm || 2.3.50 || sthitā dakṣiṇamūruṃ me tvamāśliṣya ca bhāmini || apatyānāṃ snuṣāṇāṃ ca sthānaṃ viddhi śucismite || 51 || snuṣā me bhava kalyāṇi jāte putre'tivāñchite || bhaviṣyati ca me putrastava puṇyānna saṃśayaḥ || 52 || tathetyuktā gatā sā vai kāminī divya darśanā || rājā cāpi gṛhaṃ prāptaściṃtayaṃstāṃ striyaṃ punaḥ || 53 || tataḥ kālena kiyatā jāte putre vayasvini || vanaṃ jigamiṣū rājā putraṃ vṛttāṃtamūcivān || 54 || vṛttāṃtaṃ kathayitvā tu punarūce nijaṃ sutam || yadi prayāti sā bālā tvāṃ vane cāruhāsinī ||55|| kāmayānā varārohā tā bhajethā manoramām || na praṣṭavyā tvayā kā'si manniyogānnarādhipa || 56 || dharmapatnīṃ ca tāṃ kṛtvā bhavitā tvaṃ sukhī kila || sūta uvāca || evaṃ saṃdiśya taṃ putraṃ bhūpatiḥ prītamānasaḥ || 57 || dattvā rājyaśriyaṃ sarvāṃ vanaṃ rājā viveśa ha || tatrāpi ca tapastaptvā samārādhya parāṃbikām || 58 || jagāma svargaṃ rājā'sau dehaṃ tyaktvā svatejasā || rājyaṃ prāpa mahātejāḥ śaṃtanuḥ sārvabhaumikam || 59 || prajāṃ vai pālayāmāsa dharmadaṃḍo mahīpatiḥ || 2.3.60 ||
English translation
1-8. The Risis said “O Sinless Suta! You have described to us in detail the birth of Vyasa, of unrivalled fire, and of Satyavati; but we have one great doubt in our minds though, O Knower of Dharma! which is not being removed by your words. O Sinless one! First, as regards the mother of Vyasa, the all auspicious Satyavati, we have this doubt how she came to be united to the virtuous S’antanu? The king S’antanu, of the family of Puru is a greatly religious man; how could he have married Satyavati knowing her to be a fisherman's daughter and born of a low family? Now say who was the first wife of S’antanu and how Bhisma, the intelligent son of S’antanu came to be born of the parts of Vasu? O Suta! You have told before that Bhisma, of indomitable valour, made the Satyavati's son, the brave Chitrangada, king; and subsequent to his death made his younger brother Vichitravirya king. But when the elder brother Bhisma, the greatly religious and beautiful was present, how was it that Chitrangada and Vichitravirya having been installed by Bhisma himself could have reigned.”
9-12. Again on the demise of Vichitravirya, Satyavati became very much grieved and got two sons born of her two son's wives by Vedavyasa? How can we explain this fact? Why did she do this? Why did she not give to Bhisma the kingdom? Why did Bhisma not marry? And how was it that the elder brother Vyasa Deva, of indomitable valour, did such an irreligious act as to beget two (Goloka) sons from the wives of the brothers? Vyasa composed the Puranas and knew everything of religion; how then did he go to other's wives, especially, of his brother's wives?
13-14. O Suta! Why did Vyasa Deva do such a hateful act, in spite of his being a Muni? The actions of Vedas are inferred from their subsequent good conducts; how can this act of Vyasa be calculated as one amongst them? O Intelligent one! You are the disciple of Vyasa; therefore you are the best man to solve our doubts. We all of this Dharmakshettra Naimisaranya are very eager to hear this.
15-39. At this Suta said In ancient days there reigned a king named Mahabhisa, in the family of Iksaku endowed with all the qualities of a great king; he was the foremost of all the kings, truthful and religious. That highly intelligent king performed thousand horse- sacrifices (Asva medhas) one hundred Vajapeya sacrifices and thereby satisfied Indra, the king of the Devas and went to Heavens. Once, on an occasion, that king went to the abode of Brahma; the other gods also went there to serve Prajapati. The great river, Ganga Devi, too, assuming the feminine form, went to Brahma to serve him. Now, in the interval, violent winds arose and the clothing of Ganga Devi went off; at this the Devas did not look at her; rather kept their faces downwards; but the king Mahabhisa continued gazing at her. Ganga also came to know the king and that he had become attached to her. Brahma, seeing that both of them are love-stricken and are shameless, became angry and cursed them immediately O king! you better take your birth again in the human world and practise great meritorious deeds and come again to this Heaven. Thus saying, Brahma looked at Ganga, who was attached to the king, and addressed her“You too better go to the human world and become his wife.” Both of them, the king as well as Ganga, came out of Brahma's abode, very much grieved in their hearts. The king Mahabhisa thought of coming to this world and reflected on the kings thereof and settled to make the king Pratipa of Puru's family his father. At this time the eight Vasus with their wives wandering in various places and enjoying as they liked came to the hermitage of Vas'istha. Amongst the aforesaid eight Vasus Prithu and others, one Vasu Dyau's wife seeing Nandini, the sacrificial cow (Kamadhenu) of
Vas'istha asked her husband “Whose is this excellent cow that I see? Vasu then replied as follows “ O Beautiful one! This is Vas'istha's cow. Whoever, be he a man or woman drinks her milk gets his longevity extended to ten thousand years and his youth never ends.” Hearing this, the Vasu's wife said “There is a very beautiful comrade (Sakhi) of mine, the daughter of the Rajarsi- Us'ina in the world, of auspicious qualities. O Mahabhaga! Kindly bring to me from Vas'istha's hermitage that auspicious sacrificial milch cow Nandini together with her calf that yields all desires; my Sakhi will then drink her milk and be thereby free from disease, old age and become the chief amongst all mankind. Hearing thus, his wife's word, the Vasu Dyau, though sinless, stole away together with Prithu and the other Vasus the cow Nandini in utter defiance to the self-controlled Muni Vas'istha. When the cow Nandini had been stolen, the great ascetic Vas'istha came quickly to the hermitage with abundance of fruits.
The ascetic Muni Vas'istha, not finding, in his hermitage, his cow with her calf, searched for her in many forests and caves; but he, the son of Varuna, could not find out his cow even after prolonged searches; he, then, took recourse to meditation and came to know that the Vasus had stolen the cow and became angry. He expressed “When the Vasus have stolen this my cow in utter defiance to my self, they must be born amongst men.” When the religious Varuna's son Vas'istha thus cursed the Vasus, they became very sorry and absent-minded; all of them went to Vas'istha's hermitage and saw him there; they began to supplicate him as much as they could; and took refuge under him. Seeing the Vasus standing before him in an extremely distressed condition, the virtuous Muni Vas'istha said “You all will be free from the curse within one year; but the Vasu Dyau will dwell amongst men for a long, long period as he had stolen direct my Nandini with her calf.”
40-60. While the Vasus, thus cursed, were returning, they saw on the way the chief river Ganga Devi also cursed and therefore distressed;
all of them bowed down to her simultaneously and said: “O Devi! A serious thought is troubling our minds, how can we, who live on nectar, take our birth in human wombs; so, O best river! You better be a woman and give birth to us. O Sinless one! You better be the wife of the sage King S’antanu and no sooner we be born of your womb, kindly throw us in the river Ganga (your water). If you do thus, O Ganga we will certainly be freed of our curse.” Ganga Devi replied “Well; that will be.” Thus spoken, the Vasus went to their respective places; and Ganga Devi, too, thinking on the subject again and again, went out of that place. At this time Mahabhisa became born as a son of the king Pratipa and became known as S’antanu. He was exceedingly religious and true to his promise. One day while the King Pratipa was praising the Surya Devi (the sun) of unequalled energy, Ganga Devi assumed an extraordinarily beautiful feminine form and came out of the waters and sat on the right thigh, resembling like a sal tree, of the king Pratipa. The sage king Pratip spoke out to the lady sitting on his right thigh, thus “O beautiful faced one! Why, unasked, have you sat on my auspicious right thigh?” The lovely Ganga then replied “Hear why I have sat here. O best of Kurus! O king! Becoming attached to you, I have sat on your thigh; so please accept me.” At this the king Pratipa spoke to the beautiful lady, full of youth and beauty, “I never go, simply out of passion to another's wife. There is another point; you have sat on my right thigh; that is the seat of sons and son's wives; so, when my desired son will be born, you will then, be my son's wife. And certainly, by your good will, my son will be born.” The lady, of divine form, said. Well; that will be done! and went away. The king returned to his palace, thinking of the lady. After some time, he had a son born to him and when the son attained his teens, the king desired to lead a forest life and communicated this matter to his son. He said also, if the aforesaid beautifully smiling girl comes to you to marry, then marry her. And I am also ordering you not to question her anything “who are you” and so forth. If you take her as your legal wife, you will certainly be happy. Thus saying to his son, the king Pratipa handed over all his kingdom to his son and gladly retired into the forest. The king practised tapasya in the forest and worshipped
Ambika; on quitting his mortal coil, he went by his sheer merit to the Heavens. The highly energetic king S’antanu, on getting his kingdom, began to administer justice according to the laws of Dharma and governed his subjects.
Thus ends the third Chapter of the Second Skandha on the description of the curse on Ganga, Mahabhisa and Vasus in the Mahapuranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 14777, revision 200962 (2019-05-04T21:30:07Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk02ch03.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.