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Mahābhārata • Parva 1 (Ādiparva) • Adhyāya 18

Ādiparva Adhyāya 18

आदिपर्व • अध्यायः 18

Ādiparva Adhyāya 18 of the classical Mahābhārata with 12 verses.

Total: 12 Verses • Citations: MBh 1.18.1–12 • 250 Lexicon Terms
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातममृतं मथितं यथा । यत्र सोऽश्वः समुत्पन्नः श्रीमानतुलविक्रमः ॥
English Translation
Sauti said : Thus have I narrated to you how the Ambrosia was churned out of the Ocean, in which the beautiful and powerful horse (Uchchaishrava) was produced.
यं निशाम्य तदा कद्रूर्विनतामिदमब्रवीत् । उच्चैःश्रवा नु किंवर्णो भद्रे जानीहि माचिरम् ॥
English Translation
Beholding this horse Kadru asked Vinata, saying, “Tell me, sister, without delay, what is the colour of Uchchaishrava?”
श्वेत एवाश्वराजोऽयं किं वा त्वं मन्यसे शुभे । ब्रूहि वर्णं त्वमप्यस्य ततोऽत्र विपणावहे ॥
English Translation
Vinata said: This king of the horses is of white colour. What colour do you think, sister? Say what is its colour; let us lay a wager on it.
कृष्णवालमहं मन्ये हयमेनं शुचिस्मिते । एहि सार्धं मया दीव्य दासीभावाय भामिनि ॥
English Translation
Kadru said : O sweet lady of smiles, I think the horse is black in its tail. Let us lay this wager that she, whose words will be untrue, will become the slave of the other.
एवं ते समयं कृत्वा दासीभावाय वै मिथः । जग्मतुः स्वगृहानेव श्वो द्रक्ष्याव इति स्म ह ॥
English Translation
Sauti said: Thus wagering that one will be the slave of the other, they went home, saying "We shall see the horse tomorrow."
ततः पुत्रसहस्रं तु कद्रूर्जिह्मं चिकीर्षती । आज्ञापयामास तदा वाला भूत्वाञ्जनप्रभाः ॥
English Translation
Wishing to play a deception, Kadru ordered her thousand sons to be black hair;
आविशध्वं हयं क्षिप्रं दासी न स्यामहं यथा । तद्वाक्यं नान्वपद्यन्त ताञ्शशाप भुजंगमान् ॥
English Translation
And speedily cover the horse's tail so that she might not become a slave. But on their refusal to do her bidding. She cursed the snakes, saying,
सर्पसत्रे वर्तमाने पावको वः प्रधक्ष्यति । जनमेजयस्य राजर्षेः पाण्डवेयस्य धीमतः ॥
English Translation
"In the Snake-sacrifice of the royal sage, wise Janamejaya of the Pandava race Agni will consume you all.
शापमेनं तु शुश्राव स्वयमेव पितामहः । अतिक्रूरं समुद्दिष्टं कद्र्वा दैवादतीव हि ॥
English Translation
The Grandsire (Brahma) himself heard this exceedingly cruel curse, denounced by Kadru, impelled by Fate.
सार्धं देवगणैः सर्वैर्वाचं तामन्वमोदत । बहुत्वं प्रेक्ष्य सर्पाणां प्रजानां हितकाम्यया ॥
English Translation
And he (Brahma), out of kindness for creatures and seeing that the snakes had enormously multiplied, approved of this curse with all the deities.
तिग्मवीर्यविषा ह्येते दन्दशूका महाबलाः । तेषां तीक्ष्णविषत्वाद्धि प्रजानां च हिताय वै । प्रादाद्विषहणीं विद्यां काश्यपाय महात्मने ॥
English Translation
"Considering their virulent poison, excessive strength, great prowess, biting propensity, their mother's curse had been very proper for the good of all creatures.
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