Sixth Skandha · Chapter 25
Sourceव्यास उवाच वासवी चकिता जाता श्रुत्वा मे वाक्यमीदृशम् । दाशेयी मामुवाचेदं पुत्रार्थे भृशमातुरा ॥ १ ॥ अम्बालिका वधूर्धन्या काशिराजसुता सुत । भार्या विचित्रवीर्यस्य विधवा शोकसंयुता ॥ २ ॥ सर्वलक्षणसम्पन्ना रूपयौवनशालिनी । तस्यां जनय सङ्गं त्वं कृत्वा पुत्रं सुसम्मतम् ॥ ३ ॥ नान्धो राजाधिकारी स्यात्तस्मात्पुत्र मनोहरम् । उत्पादय राजपुत्र्यां वचनान्मम मानद ॥ ४ ॥ इत्युक्तोऽहं तदा मात्रा स्थितस्तत्र गजाह्वये । यावदृतुमती जाता काशिराजसुता मुने ॥ ५ ॥ एकान्ते शयनागारे प्राप्ता सा मम सन्निधौ । लज्जमाना सुकेशान्ता स्वश्वश्रूवचनात्तदा ॥ ६ ॥ दृष्ट्वा मां जटिलं दान्तं तापसं रसवर्जितम् । सा स्वेदवदना जाता पाण्डुरा विमना भृशम् ॥ ७ ॥ कुपितोऽहं तदा दृष्ट्वा कामिनीं निशि सङ्गताम् । वेपमानां स्थितां पार्श्वे ह्यब्रवं तामहं रुषा ॥ ८ ॥ दृष्ट्वा मां यदि गर्वेण पाण्डुवर्णा समावृता । अतस्ते तनयः पाण्डुर्भविष्यति सुमध्यमे ॥ ९ ॥ इत्युक्त्वा निशि तत्रैव स्थितोऽम्बालिकया युतः । भुक्त्वा तां निशि निर्यातः स्थानमापृच्छ्य मातरम् ॥ १० ॥ ततस्ताभ्यां सुतौ काले प्रसूतावन्धपाण्डुरौ । धृतराष्ट्रश्च पाण्डुश्च प्रथितौ सम्बभूवतुः ॥ ११ ॥ माता मे विमना जाता तादृशौ वीक्ष्य तौ सुतौ । ततः संवत्सरस्यान्ते मामाहूय तदाब्रवीत् ॥ १२ ॥ द्वैपायन सुतौ जातौ राज्ययोग्यौ न तादृशौ । अन्यं मनोहरं पुत्रं समुत्पादय मे प्रियम् ॥ १३ ॥ तथेति सा मया प्रोक्ता मुदिता जननी तदा । अम्बिकां प्रार्थयामास सुतार्थे काल आगते ॥ १४ ॥ पुत्रि व्यासं समालिङ्ग्य पुत्रमुत्पादयाद्भुतम् । कुरुवंशस्य कर्तारं राज्ययोग्यं वरानने ॥ १५ ॥ वधूर्लज्जान्विता किञ्चिन्नोवाच वचनं तदा । गतोऽहं शयनागारे मातुस्तद्वचनान्निशि ॥ १६ ॥ दासी विचित्रवीर्यस्य रूपयौवनसंयुता । प्रेषिताम्बिकया त्वत्र विचित्राभरणाम्बरा ॥ १७ ॥ चन्दनारक्तदेहा सा पुष्पमालाविभूषिता । आयाता हावसंयुक्ता सुकेशी हंसगामिनी ॥ १८ ॥ पर्यङ्के मां समावेश्य संस्थिता प्रेमसंयुता । प्रसन्नोऽहं तदा तस्या विलासेनाभवं मुने ॥ १९ ॥ रात्रौ संक्रीडितं प्रेम्णा तया सह मया भृशम् । वरो दत्तः पुनस्तस्यै प्रसन्नेन तु नारद ॥ २० ॥ सुभगे भविता पुत्रः सर्वलक्षणसंयुतः । सुरूपः सर्वधर्मज्ञः सत्यवादी शमे रतः ॥ २१ ॥ स तदा विदुरो जातस्त्रयः पुत्रा मयाभवन् । माया वृद्धिं गता साधो परक्षेत्रोद्भवे मम ॥ २२ ॥ विस्मृतः शुकसम्बन्धी विरहः शोककारणम् । दृष्ट्वा त्रीन्स्वसुतान्कामं बलिनो वीर्यसम्मतान् ॥ २३ ॥ माया बलवती ब्रह्मन् दुस्त्यजा ह्यकृतात्मभिः । अरूपा च निरालम्बा ज्ञानिनामपि मोहिनी ॥ २४ ॥ मातरि स्नेहसम्बद्धं तथा पुत्रेषु संवृतम् । न मे चित्तं वने शान्तिमगान्मुनिवरोत्तम ॥ २५ ॥ दोलारूढं मनो जातं कदाचिद्धस्तिनापुरे । पुनः सरस्वतीतीरे न चैकत्र व्यवस्थितिः ॥ २६ ॥ कदाचिच्चिन्तयन् ज्ञानं मानसे प्रतिभाति वै । केऽमी पुत्राः क्व मोहोऽयं न श्राद्धार्हा मृतस्य मे ॥ २७ ॥ व्यभिचारोद्भवाः किं मे सुखदाः स्युः सुताः किल । माया बलवती मोहं वितनोति हि मानसे ॥ २८ ॥ जानन्मोहान्धकूपेऽस्मिन्पतितोऽहं मृषा मुने । इत्यकुर्वं रहस्तापं कदाचित्स्सुसमाहितः ॥ २९ ॥ राज्यं प्राप ततः पाण्डुर्बलवान्भीष्मसम्मतः । तदा मम मनो जातं प्रसन्नं सुतकारणात् ॥ ३० ॥ कुन्ती माद्री सुरूपे द्वे भार्ये तस्य बभूवतुः । शूरसेनसुता कुन्ती मद्रराजसुतापरा ॥ ३१ ॥ स शापं द्विजतः प्राप्य कामिनीद्वयसंयुतः । पाण्डुर्निर्वेदमापन्नस्त्यक्त्वा राज्यं वनं गतः ॥ ३२ ॥ तदा मामाविशच्छोकः श्रुत्वा पुत्रं वने स्थितम् । गतोऽहं तत्र यत्रासौ भार्याभ्यां सह संस्थितः ॥ ३३ ॥ तमाश्वास्य वने पाण्डुं पुनः प्राप्तो गजाह्वये । धृतराष्ट्रं समाभाष्य ह्यगमं ब्रह्मजातटे ॥ ३४ ॥ क्षेत्रजान्पञ्चपुत्रान्स समुत्पाद्य वनाश्रमे । धर्मतो वायुतः शक्रादश्विभ्यां पञ्च पाण्डवान् ॥ ३५ ॥ युधिष्ठिरो भीमसेनस्तथैवार्जुन इत्यपि । कुन्तीपुत्राः समाख्याता धर्मानिलसुरेशजाः ॥ ३६ ॥ नकुलः सहदेवश्च मद्रराजसुतासुतौ । कदाचित्तु रहो माद्रीं समालिङ्ग्य महीपतिः ॥ ३७ ॥ मृतः शापात्तु मुनिभिः संस्कृतो हुतभुङ्मुखे । माद्री तत्र सती भूत्वा प्रविष्टा पतिना सह ॥ ३८ ॥ स्थिता पुत्रयुता कुन्ती ज्वलिते जातवेदसि । मुनयः सुतसंयुक्तां शूरसेनसुतां तदा ॥ ३९ ॥ दुःखितां पतिहीनां तामानिन्युर्गजसाह्वये । समर्पिताथ भीष्माय विदुराय महात्मने ॥ ४० ॥ श्रुत्वाहं सुखदुःखाभ्यां पीडितस्तु परात्मभिः । भीष्मेण पालिताः पुत्राः पाण्डोरिति विचिन्त्य ते ॥ ४१ ॥ विदुरेण तथा प्रीत्या धृतराष्ट्रेण धीमता । दुर्योधनादयस्तस्य पुत्रा ये क्रूरमानसाः ॥ ४२ ॥ एकत्र स्थितिमापन्ना विरोधं चकुरद्भुतम् । द्रोणाचार्यस्तु सम्माप्तस्तत्र भीष्मेण मानितः ॥ ४३ ॥ अध्यापनाय पुत्राणां पुरे तस्मिन्निवासितः । कर्णः कुन्त्या परित्यक्तो जातमात्रः शिशुर्यदा ॥ ४४ ॥ सूतेन पालितो नद्यां प्रान्तश्चाधिरथेन ह । दुर्योधनप्रियश्चाभूत्कर्णः शूरतमस्तथा ॥ ४५ ॥ परस्परं विरोधोऽभूद्भीमदुर्योधनादिषु । धृतराष्ट्रस्तु सञ्चिन्त्य क्लेशं पुत्रेषु तेषु च ॥ ४६ ॥ निवासं कल्पयामास पाण्डवानां महात्मनाम् । विरोधशमनायैव नगरे वारणावते ॥ ४७ ॥ दुर्योधनेन तत्रैव द्रोहाज्जतुगृहाणि वै । कारितानि च दिव्यानि प्रेष्य मित्रं पुरोचनम् ॥ ४८ ॥ श्रुत्वा जतुगृहे दग्धान्पाण्डवान्पृथया युतान् । पौत्रभावान्मुनिश्रेष्ठ मग्नोऽहं व्यसनार्णवे ॥ ४९ ॥ शोकातुरो भृशं शून्ये वने पश्यन्नहर्निशम् । दृष्टा मयैकचक्रायां पाण्डवा दुःखकर्शिताः ॥ ५० ॥ ततस्तुष्टमनाश्चाहं जातः पार्थान्विलोक्य च । प्रेरितास्ते मया तूर्णं द्रुपदस्य पुरं प्रति ॥ ५१ ॥ ते गतास्तत्र दुःखार्ता विप्रवेषधराः कृशाः । मृगचर्मपरीधानाः सभायां संस्थितास्तदा ॥ ५२ ॥ कृत्वा पराक्रमं जिष्णुः स जित्वा द्रुपदात्मजाम् । चक्रुर्विवाहं मानिन्या पञ्चैव मातृवाक्यतः ॥ ५३ ॥ दृष्ट्वा विवाहं तेषां तु मुदितोऽहं भृशं तदा । ततो नागाह्वये प्राप्ताः पाञ्चालीसहिता मुने ॥ ५४ ॥ निवासं खाण्डवप्रस्थं धृतराष्ट्रेण कल्पितम् । पाण्डवानां द्विजश्रेष्ठ वसुदेवसुतेन वै ॥ ५५ ॥ तर्पितः पावकस्तत्र विष्णुना सह जिष्णुना । राजसूयः कृतो यज्ञस्तदाहं मुदितोऽभवम् ॥ ५६ ॥ दृष्ट्वाथ विभवं तेषां तथा मयकृतां सभाम् । दुर्योधनोऽतिसन्तप्तो दुरोदरमथाकरोत् ॥ ५७ ॥ दुर्द्यूतवेदी शकुनिरनक्षज्ञश्च धर्मजः । हृतं राज्यं धनं सर्वं याज्ञसेनी च क्लेशिता ॥ ५८ ॥ वने द्वादश वर्षाणि पाण्डवास्ते विवासिताः । पाञ्चालीसहितास्तेन दुःखं मे जनितं भृशम् ॥ ५९ ॥ एवं नारद संसारे सुखदुःखात्मके भृशम् । निमग्नोऽहं भ्रमेणैव जानन् धर्मं सनातनम् ॥ ६० ॥ कोऽहं कस्य सुतास्तेऽमी का माता किं सुखं पुनः । येन मे हृदयं मोहाद्भ्रमतीति दिवानिशम् ॥ ६१ ॥ किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि सन्तोषो नाधिगच्छति । दोलारूढं मनो मेऽत्र चञ्चलं न स्थिरं भवेत् ॥ ६२ ॥ सर्वज्ञोऽसि मुनिश्रेष्ठ सन्देहं मे निवर्तय । तथा कुरु यथाहं स्यां सुखितो विगतज्वरः ॥ ६३ ॥ इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायां षष्ठस्कन्धे व्यासस्वकीयमोहवर्णनं नाम पञ्चविंशोऽध्यायः ॥ २५ ॥
vyāsa uvāca vāsavī cakitā jātā śrutvā me vākyamīdṛśam | dāśeyī māmuvācedaṃ putrārthe bhṛśamāturā || 1 || ambālikā vadhūrdhanyā kāśirājasutā suta | bhāryā vicitravīryasya vidhavā śokasaṃyutā || 2 || sarvalakṣaṇasampannā rūpayauvanaśālinī | tasyāṃ janaya saṅgaṃ tvaṃ kṛtvā putraṃ susammatam || 3 || nāndho rājādhikārī syāttasmātputra manoharam | utpādaya rājaputryāṃ vacanānmama mānada || 4 || ityukto'haṃ tadā mātrā sthitastatra gajāhvaye | yāvadṛtumatī jātā kāśirājasutā mune || 5 || ekānte śayanāgāre prāptā sā mama sannidhau | lajjamānā sukeśāntā svaśvaśrūvacanāttadā || 6 || dṛṣṭvā māṃ jaṭilaṃ dāntaṃ tāpasaṃ rasavarjitam | sā svedavadanā jātā pāṇḍurā vimanā bhṛśam || 7 || kupito'haṃ tadā dṛṣṭvā kāminīṃ niśi saṅgatām | vepamānāṃ sthitāṃ pārśve hyabravaṃ tāmahaṃ ruṣā || 8 || dṛṣṭvā māṃ yadi garveṇa pāṇḍuvarṇā samāvṛtā | ataste tanayaḥ pāṇḍurbhaviṣyati sumadhyame || 9 || ityuktvā niśi tatraiva sthito'mbālikayā yutaḥ | bhuktvā tāṃ niśi niryātaḥ sthānamāpṛcchya mātaram || 10 || tatastābhyāṃ sutau kāle prasūtāvandhapāṇḍurau | dhṛtarāṣṭraśca pāṇḍuśca prathitau sambabhūvatuḥ || 11 || mātā me vimanā jātā tādṛśau vīkṣya tau sutau | tataḥ saṃvatsarasyānte māmāhūya tadābravīt || 12 || dvaipāyana sutau jātau rājyayogyau na tādṛśau | anyaṃ manoharaṃ putraṃ samutpādaya me priyam || 13 || tatheti sā mayā proktā muditā jananī tadā | ambikāṃ prārthayāmāsa sutārthe kāla āgate || 14 || putri vyāsaṃ samāliṅgya putramutpādayādbhutam | kuruvaṃśasya kartāraṃ rājyayogyaṃ varānane || 15 || vadhūrlajjānvitā kiñcinnovāca vacanaṃ tadā | gato'haṃ śayanāgāre mātustadvacanānniśi || 16 || dāsī vicitravīryasya rūpayauvanasaṃyutā | preṣitāmbikayā tvatra vicitrābharaṇāmbarā || 17 || candanāraktadehā sā puṣpamālāvibhūṣitā | āyātā hāvasaṃyuktā sukeśī haṃsagāminī || 18 || paryaṅke māṃ samāveśya saṃsthitā premasaṃyutā | prasanno'haṃ tadā tasyā vilāsenābhavaṃ mune || 19 || rātrau saṃkrīḍitaṃ premṇā tayā saha mayā bhṛśam | varo dattaḥ punastasyai prasannena tu nārada || 20 || subhage bhavitā putraḥ sarvalakṣaṇasaṃyutaḥ | surūpaḥ sarvadharmajñaḥ satyavādī śame rataḥ || 21 || sa tadā viduro jātastrayaḥ putrā mayābhavan | māyā vṛddhiṃ gatā sādho parakṣetrodbhave mama || 22 || vismṛtaḥ śukasambandhī virahaḥ śokakāraṇam | dṛṣṭvā trīnsvasutānkāmaṃ balino vīryasammatān || 23 || māyā balavatī brahman dustyajā hyakṛtātmabhiḥ | arūpā ca nirālambā jñānināmapi mohinī || 24 || mātari snehasambaddhaṃ tathā putreṣu saṃvṛtam | na me cittaṃ vane śāntimagānmunivarottama || 25 || dolārūḍhaṃ mano jātaṃ kadāciddhastināpure | punaḥ sarasvatītīre na caikatra vyavasthitiḥ || 26 || kadāciccintayan jñānaṃ mānase pratibhāti vai | ke'mī putrāḥ kva moho'yaṃ na śrāddhārhā mṛtasya me || 27 || vyabhicārodbhavāḥ kiṃ me sukhadāḥ syuḥ sutāḥ kila | māyā balavatī mohaṃ vitanoti hi mānase || 28 || jānanmohāndhakūpe'sminpatito'haṃ mṛṣā mune | ityakurvaṃ rahastāpaṃ kadācitssusamāhitaḥ || 29 || rājyaṃ prāpa tataḥ pāṇḍurbalavānbhīṣmasammataḥ | tadā mama mano jātaṃ prasannaṃ sutakāraṇāt || 30 || kuntī mādrī surūpe dve bhārye tasya babhūvatuḥ | śūrasenasutā kuntī madrarājasutāparā || 31 || sa śāpaṃ dvijataḥ prāpya kāminīdvayasaṃyutaḥ | pāṇḍurnirvedamāpannastyaktvā rājyaṃ vanaṃ gataḥ || 32 || tadā māmāviśacchokaḥ śrutvā putraṃ vane sthitam | gato'haṃ tatra yatrāsau bhāryābhyāṃ saha saṃsthitaḥ || 33 || tamāśvāsya vane pāṇḍuṃ punaḥ prāpto gajāhvaye | dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ samābhāṣya hyagamaṃ brahmajātaṭe || 34 || kṣetrajānpañcaputrānsa samutpādya vanāśrame | dharmato vāyutaḥ śakrādaśvibhyāṃ pañca pāṇḍavān || 35 || yudhiṣṭhiro bhīmasenastathaivārjuna ityapi | kuntīputrāḥ samākhyātā dharmānilasureśajāḥ || 36 || nakulaḥ sahadevaśca madrarājasutāsutau | kadācittu raho mādrīṃ samāliṅgya mahīpatiḥ || 37 || mṛtaḥ śāpāttu munibhiḥ saṃskṛto hutabhuṅmukhe | mādrī tatra satī bhūtvā praviṣṭā patinā saha || 38 || sthitā putrayutā kuntī jvalite jātavedasi | munayaḥ sutasaṃyuktāṃ śūrasenasutāṃ tadā || 39 || duḥkhitāṃ patihīnāṃ tāmāninyurgajasāhvaye | samarpitātha bhīṣmāya vidurāya mahātmane || 40 || śrutvāhaṃ sukhaduḥkhābhyāṃ pīḍitastu parātmabhiḥ | bhīṣmeṇa pālitāḥ putrāḥ pāṇḍoriti vicintya te || 41 || vidureṇa tathā prītyā dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa dhīmatā | duryodhanādayastasya putrā ye krūramānasāḥ || 42 || ekatra sthitimāpannā virodhaṃ cakuradbhutam | droṇācāryastu sammāptastatra bhīṣmeṇa mānitaḥ || 43 || adhyāpanāya putrāṇāṃ pure tasminnivāsitaḥ | karṇaḥ kuntyā parityakto jātamātraḥ śiśuryadā || 44 || sūtena pālito nadyāṃ prāntaścādhirathena ha | duryodhanapriyaścābhūtkarṇaḥ śūratamastathā || 45 || parasparaṃ virodho'bhūdbhīmaduryodhanādiṣu | dhṛtarāṣṭrastu sañcintya kleśaṃ putreṣu teṣu ca || 46 || nivāsaṃ kalpayāmāsa pāṇḍavānāṃ mahātmanām | virodhaśamanāyaiva nagare vāraṇāvate || 47 || duryodhanena tatraiva drohājjatugṛhāṇi vai | kāritāni ca divyāni preṣya mitraṃ purocanam || 48 || śrutvā jatugṛhe dagdhānpāṇḍavānpṛthayā yutān | pautrabhāvānmuniśreṣṭha magno'haṃ vyasanārṇave || 49 || śokāturo bhṛśaṃ śūnye vane paśyannaharniśam | dṛṣṭā mayaikacakrāyāṃ pāṇḍavā duḥkhakarśitāḥ || 50 || tatastuṣṭamanāścāhaṃ jātaḥ pārthānvilokya ca | preritāste mayā tūrṇaṃ drupadasya puraṃ prati || 51 || te gatāstatra duḥkhārtā vipraveṣadharāḥ kṛśāḥ | mṛgacarmaparīdhānāḥ sabhāyāṃ saṃsthitāstadā || 52 || kṛtvā parākramaṃ jiṣṇuḥ sa jitvā drupadātmajām | cakrurvivāhaṃ māninyā pañcaiva mātṛvākyataḥ || 53 || dṛṣṭvā vivāhaṃ teṣāṃ tu mudito'haṃ bhṛśaṃ tadā | tato nāgāhvaye prāptāḥ pāñcālīsahitā mune || 54 || nivāsaṃ khāṇḍavaprasthaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa kalpitam | pāṇḍavānāṃ dvijaśreṣṭha vasudevasutena vai || 55 || tarpitaḥ pāvakastatra viṣṇunā saha jiṣṇunā | rājasūyaḥ kṛto yajñastadāhaṃ mudito'bhavam || 56 || dṛṣṭvātha vibhavaṃ teṣāṃ tathā mayakṛtāṃ sabhām | duryodhano'tisantapto durodaramathākarot || 57 || durdyūtavedī śakuniranakṣajñaśca dharmajaḥ | hṛtaṃ rājyaṃ dhanaṃ sarvaṃ yājñasenī ca kleśitā || 58 || vane dvādaśa varṣāṇi pāṇḍavāste vivāsitāḥ | pāñcālīsahitāstena duḥkhaṃ me janitaṃ bhṛśam || 59 || evaṃ nārada saṃsāre sukhaduḥkhātmake bhṛśam | nimagno'haṃ bhrameṇaiva jānan dharmaṃ sanātanam || 60 || ko'haṃ kasya sutāste'mī kā mātā kiṃ sukhaṃ punaḥ | yena me hṛdayaṃ mohādbhramatīti divāniśam || 61 || kiṃ karomi kva gacchāmi santoṣo nādhigacchati | dolārūḍhaṃ mano me'tra cañcalaṃ na sthiraṃ bhavet || 62 || sarvajño'si muniśreṣṭha sandehaṃ me nivartaya | tathā kuru yathāhaṃ syāṃ sukhito vigatajvaraḥ || 63 || iti śrīmaddevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ ṣaṣṭhaskandhe vyāsasvakīyamohavarṇanaṃ nāma pañcaviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 25 ||
English translation
1-10. Vyasa said OKing! The mother became astonished to hear me. Becoming very anxious for a son, she began to speak to me. O Child! The wife of your brother, the daughter Ambalika of Kas’iraj, is a widow; she is very sorrowful; she is endowed with all auspicious signs and endowed with all good qualities; better cohabit with that beautiful young wife and get a child according to the tradition of the S’istas. Persons born blind are not entitled to kingdoms. Therefore take my word and procreate a beautiful son and thus keep my honour. O Muni! Hearing the mother’s words, I began to wait in Hastinapura till Ambalika, the daughter of Kas’iraj, finished her ablutions after menstruation. That King’s daughter, of curling hairs, came to me alone at her mother-in-law’s order, and became very much abashed. Seeing me an ascetic with matted hairs on my head and void of every love sentiment, perspiration came on her face; her body turned pale and her mind void of any love towards me. When I saw that lady trembling and pale beside me, I angrily spoke “O One of beautiful waist! When you have turned out pale, considering your own beauty, let your son be of a pale colour.” Thus saying I spent there that night with Ambalika. After enjoying her I took farewell from my mother and went to my place.
11-21. In due course, the two daughters of the King gave birth to two sons respectively, one blind and the other pale. The son of Ambika was named Dhritarastra; and the son of Ambalika was named Pandu, as his colour was pandu (pale). Mother became absent- minded when she saw the two sons in those states. After one year she again called me and said “O Dvaipayana! These two persons are not so fit to become kings; therefore beget one more son beautiful and according to my liking.” When I consented, she became very glad and, in due course, asked Ambika to embrace me
and give birth to a son, endowed with extraordinary qualities, and fit to preserve the line worthy of the Kuru dynasty. The bride did not then say anything on account of her bashfulness. But when I went in the night tinne according to my mother’s order, to the sleeping room, Ambika sent to me a maid-servant of Vichitravirya, full of youth and beauty, and adorned with various ornaments and clothings. That maid-servant of beautiful hairs and of a swan-like gait adorned with garlands and red sandal-paste, came to me with many enchanting gestures and making me take my seat on the cot, became herself merged in love sentiments. O Muni! I became pleased with her gestures and amorous sports and passed the night, full of love towards her and played and cohabited with her. At last I gladly gave her the boon, “O Fortunate One! Your child, begotten by me, will be endowed with all good qualities, will be of good form, will be conversant with all the essences of Dharma, calm and quiet and truthful.”
22-34. In due course, a child named Vidura was born to her. Thus I had three sons; and in my mind grew up Maya and affection that these were my sons. When I saw again those three sons, heroic and full of manliness, the only cause of my sorrow due to the bereavement of my son S’uka vanished away from my mind. O Lord of Dvijas! Maya is very powerful and extremely hard to be abandoned by those who are not masters of their senses; She enchants even the wise, though She does not possess any form nor any substratum nor any support. I could not find any peace, even in the forest, as my mind was attached to my mother and children. O Muni! My mind then began to oscillate like a pendulum and I remained sometime in Hastinapura and sometime on the banks of the Sarasvati. I could not stay in a certain fixed place. By discrimination, the knowledge sometimes flashed in my mind Whose sons are these? The attachment is nothing but merely a delusion. On my death they would not be entitled to perform my S’raddha ceremony. These sons are begotten by ways and manners
not sanctioned by Dharnna; what happiness can they bring to me? O Muni! The powerful Maya has caused this delusion in me. What! Knowing this Samsara to be unreal, Alas! I have fallen into this well of the Darkness of delusion. Thus I repented when I thought over the matter deeply and when I was alone in a solitary place. When, subsequently, through the mediation of Bhisma, the powerful Pandu got the kingdom, I became pleased to see the prosperity of my son. O Muni! This is also the creation of Maya. The daughter of the King S’urasena, named Kunti, and the daughter of the King of Madra, named Madri became the two beautiful wives of Pandu. Pandu was cursed by a Brahmana that he would die if he cohabited with any woman; he therefore became dispassionate and quitting his kingdom, went to the forest with his two wives. Hearing Pandu gone to the forest I felt pain and went to my son who was staying with his wives and consoling him, came to Hastinapura, where I held a conversation with Dhritarastra and then came back to the banks of the river Sarasvati.
35-50. Pandu in his forest life, got five sons out of his wives by the Devas Dharma, Vayu, Indra, and the twin AsVins. Dharma, Vayu, and Indra begat respectively of Kunti the three sons Yudhisthira, Bhimasena and Arjuna; and the two AsVins begat of Madri the two sons Nakulu and Sahadeva. Once Madri, full of youth and beauty, was staying alone in a solitary place and Pandu seeing her embraced her and due to the curse, died. When the funeral pyre was ablaze, the chaste Madri entered into the fire and died a Sati. Kunti was prevented from doing so, as she was to nurse and look after her young children. The Munis then took the sorrowful Kunti, the daughter of S’urasena, bereft of her husband to Hastinapur and handed her over to the high-souled Bhisma and Vidura. When I came to hear this, my mind was greatly agitated to see the pain and pleasure that other people suffered. Bhisma, Vidura, and Dhritarastra began to nourish and support Yudhisthira and others as they considered them the sons of their dearest Pandu. The cruel and
wicked sons of Dhritarastra, Duryodhana and others united with each other and began to quarrel horribly with the sons of Pandu. Dronacharya came there accidentally and Bhisma treated him with great respect and requested him to stay in Hastinapura and educate the sons of Kuru. Kama was the the son of Kunti, when she was young and unmarried; and he was quitted by her no sooner he was born. The charioteer Suta (or carpenter) Adhiratha found him in a river and nourished him. Kama was the foremost of the heroes and therefore the great favourite of Duryodhana. The enmity between Bhima and Duryodhana, etc., began to grow greater day by day. Dhritarastra, thinking the difficult situation of his children, fixed the residence of the sons of Pandu at the Varanavata city so that the quarrels might die away. Out of enmity, Duryodhana ordered his dear friend Purochana to build there a house of lac for the Pandavas. O Muni! When I heard that Kunti and her five sons were burnt in the lac-house, I became merged in the ocean of sorrows and thought that they were my grandsons. I was overwhelmed with sorrow and began to search after them in deep forests day and night till at last I found them in Ekachakra city, lean and thin and very much distressed with sorrow.
51-63. I became very glad to see them and sent them soon to the city of the King Drupada. Wearing the deer’s skin, they went there dejected with sorrow in the Brahmin’s dress and stayed in the royal court. The victorious Arjuna shewed prowess and pierced the mark (the eye of the fish) and obtained Krisna, the daughter of the King Drupada. By the order of the mother Kunti, the five brothers married her. O Muni! I became very glad to see that they were all married. The Pandavas, then, accompanied by PanchalT, soon went to Hastinapura. Dhritarastra then fixed Khandavaprastha as the residence of the Pandavas. Visnu, the son of Vasudeva, then performed the Yajha with the victorious Arjuna and satisfied the Great Fire. The Pandavas next performed the Rajasuya sacrifice and that made me very glad. Seeing the affluence and prosperity of the
Pandavas and the great assembly hall beautiful and exquisitely artistic, Duryodhana was burnt up, as it were, with malice and made arrangements for play in dice, very injurious in its consequences. S’akuni was expert in playing deceitfully and Yudhisthira the son of Dharma, was not expert in this play. So Duryodhana made S’akuni play for him and stole away all that Yudhisthira had and insulted, at last, in the royal assembly, the daughter of Drupada, Yajhaseni and gave her much trouble. The Pandavas then went with PanchalT in an exile in the forest for twelve years. And I was very much grieved to hear this O Muni! Though I know all about the Sanatan Dharma, yet I was deluded and merged in these worlds of pains and pleasures. Who am I? To whom do these sons belong? My mind roams day and night on the thought of all these. O Muni! What shall I do? And whither shall I go? I don’t find happiness anywhere; my mind is, as it were, floating in a rocking machine and it is never being fixed. O Best of Munis! You are all-knowing; solve my doubts so that my mental fever may be quietened and I may be happy.
Here ends the Twenty-fifth Chapter on the cause of Moha of Vyasa Deva asked before Narada in S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 53179, revision 118185 (2017-08-23T21:16:29Z). 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/bk06ch25.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.