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Mahābhārata • Parva 1 (Ādiparva) • Adhyāya 66

Ādiparva Adhyāya 66

आदिपर्व • अध्यायः 66

Ādiparva Adhyāya 66 of the classical Mahābhārata with 18 verses.

Total: 18 Verses • Citations: MBh 1.66.1–18 • 250 Lexicon Terms
एवमुक्तस्तया शक्रः संदिदेश सदागतिम् । प्रातिष्ठत तदा काले मेनका वायुना सह ॥
English Translation
Kanva said: Having been thus addressed, Indra commanded the wind to be present with Menaka when she would be present before the Rishi.
अथापश्यद्वरारोहा तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषम् । विश्वामित्रं तपस्यन्तं मेनका भीरुराश्रमे ॥
English Translation
The timid and the beautiful girl then entered the hermitage and saw Vishvamitra, who had destroyed all his sins by penances and who was still engaged in austere penances.
अभिवाद्य ततः सा तं प्राक्रीडदृषिसंनिधौ । अपोवाह च वासोऽस्या मारुतः शशिसंनिभम् ॥
English Translation
Having saluted the Rishi, she then began to sport near him. At this very time Maruta robbed of her cloth, which was as white as the moon (light.)
सागच्छत्त्वरिता भूमिं वासस्तदभिलिङ्गती । उत्स्मयन्तीव सव्रीडं मारुतं वरवर्णिनी ॥
English Translation
And that beautiful girl in great bashfulness began to run after the cloth to catch it and she appeared to express her great annoyance at the conduct of Maruta (wind).
गृद्धां वाससि संभ्रान्तां मेनकां मुनिसत्तमः । अनिर्देश्यवयोरूपामपश्यद्विवृतां तदा ॥
English Translation
She did all this before that great Rishi Vishvamitra, as effulgent as the fire and he saw her in that state. He marked that she was of faultless features. In her nude state, the best of the Rishis saw that Menaka was exceedingly beautiful, with no marks of age on her person.
तस्या रूपगुणं दृष्ट्वा स तु विप्रर्षभस्तदा । चकार भावं संसर्गे तया कामवशं गतः ॥
English Translation
Seeing her great beauty and accomplishments, that best of Rishis was filled with desire and wished for her company.
न्यमन्त्रयत चाप्येनां सा चाप्यैच्छदनिन्दिता । तौ तत्र सुचिरं कालं वने व्यहरतामुभौ । रममाणौ यथाकामं यथैकदिवसं तथा ॥
जनयामास स मुनिर्मेनकायां शकुन्तलाम् । प्रस्थे हिमवतो रम्ये मालिनीमभितो नदीम् ॥
जातमुत्सृज्य तं गर्भं मेनका मालिनीमनु । कृतकार्या ततस्तूर्णमगच्छच्छक्रसंसदम् ॥
तं वने विजने गर्भं सिंहव्याघ्रसमाकुले । दृष्ट्वा शयानं शकुनाः समन्तात्पर्यवारयन् ॥
नेमां हिंस्युर्वने बालां क्रव्यादा मांसगृद्धिनः । पर्यरक्षन्त तां तत्र शकुन्ता मेनकात्मजाम् ॥
उपस्प्रष्टुं गतश्चाहमपश्यं शयितामिमाम् । निर्जने विपिनेऽरण्ये शकुन्तैः परिवारिताम् । आनयित्वा ततश्चैनां दुहितृत्वे न्ययोजयम् ॥
English Translation
The vultures protected the life of Menaka's child. I had gone there to perform my ablutions. I saw the child lying. In the deep solitude of the forest, surrounded by the vultures. Bringing her here, I have made her my daughter. According to the scriptures, the maker of the body, the protector of life and the giver of food, these three, are in their order considered to be fathers.
शरीरकृत्प्राणदाता यस्य चान्नानि भुञ्जते । क्रमेण ते त्रयोऽप्युक्ताः पितरो धर्मनिश्चये ॥
निर्जने च वने यस्माच्छकुन्तैः परिरक्षिता । शकुन्तलेति नामास्याः कृतं चापि ततो मया ॥
English Translation
Because she was found in the solitude of the forest, protected by the Shakuntas (birds), she has been named Shakuntala (protected by birds.)
एवं दुहितरं विद्धि मम सौम्य शकुन्तलाम् । शकुन्तला च पितरं मन्यते मामनिन्दिता ॥
English Translation
O Brahmana, know that it is thus that Shakuntala has become my daughter. And faultless Shakuntala also regards me as her father.
एतदाचष्ट पृष्टः सन्मम जन्म महर्षये । सुतां कण्वस्य मामेवं विद्धि त्वं मनुजाधिप ॥
English Translation
Shakuntala said: Thus the great Rishi (Kanva), when asked, told (the Brahmana) the account of my birth. O king of men, you must know that I have thus become the daughter of Kanva. Not knowing who is my real father, I regard Kanva as my father. Thus have I told you, O king, all that I heard about my birth.
कण्वं हि पितरं मन्ये पितरं स्वमजानती । इति ते कथितं राजन्यथावृत्तं श्रुतं मया ॥
English Translation
Shakuntala said: Thus the great Rishi (Kanva), when asked, told (the Brahmana) the account of my birth. O king of men, you must know that I have thus become the daughter of Kanva. Not knowing who is my real father, I regard Kanva as my father. Thus have I told you, O king, all that I heard about my birth.
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