The Curse of Mahabhishak and the Pact of the Vasus

Verse 1 (1.102.1)

इक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभवो राजासीत्पृथिवीपतिः । महाभिषगिति ख्यातः सत्यवाक्सत्यविक्रमः ॥

ikṣvākuvaṃśaprabhavo rājāsītpṛthivīpatiḥ | mahābhiṣagiti khyātaḥ satyavāksatyavikramaḥ

There was a king, lord of the earth, born in the line of Ikshvaku, known as Mahabhishak, true in speech and true in valour.

Note on the text: Corrected इक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभो → इक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभवो (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara व, which the metre needs, as in the critical edition's ikṣvākuvaṃśaprabhavo). Speaker set to Vaishampayana: Wikisource prints वैशंपायन उवाच at the head of the adhyaya (the input has no speaker for verses 1–8).

Verse 2 (1.102.2)

सोऽश्वमेधसहस्रेण राजसूयशतेन च । तोषयामास देवेशं स्वर्गं लेभे ततः प्रभुः ॥

so'śvamedhasahasreṇa rājasūyaśatena ca | toṣayāmāsa deveśaṃ svargaṃ lebhe tataḥ prabhuḥ

With a thousand horse sacrifices and a hundred Rajasuyas he pleased the lord of the gods, and that mighty king then attained heaven.

Verse 3 (1.102.3)

ततः कदाचिद्ब्रह्माणमुपासांचक्रिरे सुराः । तत्र राजर्षयो ह्यासन्स च राजा महाभिषक् ॥

tataḥ kadācidbrahmāṇamupāsāṃcakrire surāḥ | tatra rājarṣayo hyāsansa ca rājā mahābhiṣak

Once the gods were attending upon Brahma. Royal sages were present there, and King Mahabhishak among them.

Verse 4 (1.102.4)

अथ गङ्गा सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा समुपायात्पितामहम् । तस्या वासः समुद्धूतं मारुतेन शशिप्रभम् ॥

atha gaṅgā saricchreṣṭhā samupāyātpitāmaham | tasyā vāsaḥ samuddhūtaṃ mārutena śaśiprabham

Then Ganga, best of rivers, approached the Grandsire, and the wind lifted her garment, white as the moon.

Verse 5 (1.102.5)

ततोऽभवन्सुरगणाः सहसाऽवाङ्मुखास्तदा । महाभिषक्तु राजर्षिरशङ्को दृष्टवान्नदीम् ॥

tato'bhavansuragaṇāḥ sahasā'vāṅmukhāstadā | mahābhiṣaktu rājarṣiraśaṅko dṛṣṭavānnadīm

At once the hosts of the gods lowered their faces, but the royal sage Mahabhishak gazed at the river without restraint.

Verse 6 (1.102.6)

सोऽपध्यातो भगवता ब्रह्मणा तु महाभिषक् । उक्तश्च जातो मर्त्येषु पुनर्लोकानवाप्स्यसि ॥

so'padhyāto bhagavatā brahmaṇā tu mahābhiṣak | uktaśca jāto martyeṣu punarlokānavāpsyasi

The blessed Brahma cursed Mahabhishak and said to him: "You will be born among mortals, and then you will win back these worlds.

Note on the text: Corrected सोपध्यातो → सोऽपध्यातो (misprint in Wikisource; the missing avagraha turns "cursed" (apadhyāta) into "thought of" (upadhyāta), as in the critical edition's apadhyāto).

Verse 7 (1.102.7)

यया हृतमनाश्चासि गङ्गया त्वं हि दुर्मते । सा ते वै मानुषे लोके विप्रियाण्याचरिष्यति ॥

yayā hṛtamanāścāsi gaṅgayā tvaṃ hi durmate | sā te vai mānuṣe loke vipriyāṇyācariṣyati

Ganga, who stole your heart, foolish one, will do things in the world of men that displease you.

Note on the text: Brahma's words continue (Wikisource prints no speaker line until the middle of verse 8). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; the critical edition gives it only in its apparatus, *0911 after 1.91.6).

Verse 8 (1.102.8)

यदा ते भविता मन्युस्तदा शापाद्विमोक्ष्यसे । स चिन्तयित्वा नृपतिर्नृपानन्यांस्तपोधनान् ॥

yadā te bhavitā manyustadā śāpādvimokṣyase | sa cintayitvā nṛpatirnṛpānanyāṃstapodhanān

When anger rises in you, then you will be released from the curse." The king, having considered other kings rich in austerity,

Note on the text: Corrected विमोक्ष्यते → विमोक्ष्यसे (misprint in Wikisource; Brahma addresses the king in the second person, as in the critical edition's apparatus vimokṣyase). The first line ends Brahma's words and is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; apparatus *0911); the second = 1.91.7ab. Wikisource prints वैशंपायन उवाच between the two lines; it is not kept, since the verse is already Vaishampayana's.

Verse 9 (1.102.9)

प्रतीपं रोचयामास पितरं भूरितेजसम् । सा महाभिषजं दृष्ट्वा नदी धैर्याच्च्युतं नृपम् ॥

pratīpaṃ rocayāmāsa pitaraṃ bhūritejasam | sā mahābhiṣajaṃ dṛṣṭvā nadī dhairyāccyutaṃ nṛpam

chose the mighty Pratipa as his father. The river, seeing King Mahabhishak lose his composure,

Note on the text: Corrected दैर्यात् → धैर्यात् (misprint in Wikisource; द for ध, as in the critical edition's dhairyāc). = 1.91.7cd + 1.91.8ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 10 (1.102.10)

तमेव मनसा ध्यायन्त्युपावृत्ता सरिद्वरा । सा तु विध्वस्तवपुषः कश्मलाभिहतान्नृप ॥

tameva manasā dhyāyantyupāvṛttā saridvarā | sā tu vidhvastavapuṣaḥ kaśmalābhihatānnṛpa

went back, the best of rivers, thinking of him alone in her heart. As she went on her way, O king, she saw the Vasus, gods who dwell in heaven,

Note on the text: = 1.91.8cd + 1.91.9ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 11 (1.102.11)

ददर्श पथि गच्छन्ती वसून्देवान्दिवौकसः । तथारूपांश्च तान्दृष्ट्वा पप्रच्छ सरितां वरा ॥

dadarśa pathi gacchantī vasūndevāndivaukasaḥ | tathārūpāṃśca tāndṛṣṭvā papraccha saritāṃ varā

their bodies ruined and themselves overcome by dejection. Seeing them in that state, the best of rivers asked them:

Note on the text: Corrected प्रपच्छ → पप्रच्छ (misprint in Wikisource; garbled reduplication, as in the critical edition's papraccha). = 1.91.9cd + 1.91.10ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 12 (1.102.12)

किमिदं नष्टरूपाः स्थ कच्चित्क्षेमं दिवौकसाम् । तामूचुर्वसवो देवाः शप्ताः स्मो वै महानदि ॥

kimidaṃ naṣṭarūpāḥ stha kaccitkṣemaṃ divaukasām | tāmūcurvasavo devāḥ śaptāḥ smo vai mahānadi

"What is this? Why have you lost your form? Is all well with the dwellers of heaven?" The Vasu gods said to her: "We have been cursed, great river,

Note on the text: = 1.91.10cd + 1.91.11ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 13 (1.102.13)

अल्पेऽपराधे संरम्भाद्वसिष्ठेन महात्मना । विमूढा हि वयं सर्वे प्रच्छन्नमृषिसत्तमम् ॥

alpe'parādhe saṃrambhādvasiṣṭhena mahātmanā | vimūḍhā hi vayaṃ sarve pracchannamṛṣisattamam

by the great-souled Vasishtha, in his wrath, for a small offence. All of us, in our folly, once

Note on the text: = 1.91.11cd + 1.91.12ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 14 (1.102.14)

सन्ध्यां वसिष्ठमासीनं तमत्यभिसृताः पुरा । तेन कोपाद्वयं शप्ता योनौ संभवतेति ह ॥

sandhyāṃ vasiṣṭhamāsīnaṃ tamatyabhisṛtāḥ purā | tena kopādvayaṃ śaptā yonau saṃbhavateti ha

passed rudely over Vasishtha, best of sages, as he sat unseen at his twilight worship. In his anger he cursed us: 'Be born in a womb.'

Note on the text: = 1.91.12cd + 1.91.13ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 15 (1.102.15)

न तच्छक्यं निवर्तयितुं यदुक्तं ब्रह्मवादिना । त्वमस्मान्मानुषी भूत्वा सूष्व पुत्रान्वसून्भुवि ॥

na tacchakyaṃ nivartayituṃ yaduktaṃ brahmavādinā | tvamasmānmānuṣī bhūtvā sūṣva putrānvasūnbhuvi

What that expounder of the Veda has spoken cannot be turned back. Become a mortal woman, then, and give birth to us Vasus as your sons on earth.

Note on the text: = 1.91.13cd + 1.91.14ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand), whose third quarter reads differently.

Verse 16 (1.102.16)

न मानुषीणां जठरं प्रविशेम वयं शुभे । इत्युक्ता तैश्च वसुभिस्तथेत्युक्त्वाऽब्रवीदिदम् ॥

na mānuṣīṇāṃ jaṭharaṃ praviśema vayaṃ śubhe | ityuktā taiśca vasubhistathetyuktvā'bravīdidam

We would not enter the womb of a mortal woman, fair one." Thus addressed by the Vasus, Ganga said "So be it," and spoke these words:

Note on the text: = 1.91.14cd + 1.91.15ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 17 (1.102.17)

मर्त्येषु पुरुषश्रेष्ठः को वः कर्ता भविष्यति ॥

martyeṣu puruṣaśreṣṭhaḥ ko vaḥ kartā bhaviṣyati

"Who among mortals, the best of men, will be your father?"

Note on the text: Split: Wikisource prints Ganga's question (this line, under गङ्गोवाच) and the Vasus' answer (under वसव ऊचुः) as a single verse 17 of three lines; the answer is given as the next verse. This line = 1.91.15cd of the critical edition.

Verse 18 (1.102.18)

प्रतीपस्य सुतो राजा शान्तनुर्लोकविश्रुतः । भविता मानुषे लोके स नः कर्ता भविष्यति ॥

pratīpasya suto rājā śāntanurlokaviśrutaḥ | bhavitā mānuṣe loke sa naḥ kartā bhaviṣyati

"Pratipa's son, King Shantanu, renowned in the world, will be born in the world of men. He will be our father."

Note on the text: Split from the previous verse (both are Wikisource 1.102.17): the Vasus' answer, printed under its own speaker line वसव ऊचुः. = 1.91.16 of the critical edition.

Verse 19 (1.102.19)

ममाप्येवं मतं देवा यथा मां वदथानघाः । प्रियं तस्य करिष्यामि युष्माकं चेतदीप्सितम् ॥

mamāpyevaṃ mataṃ devā yathā māṃ vadathānaghāḥ | priyaṃ tasya kariṣyāmi yuṣmākaṃ cetadīpsitam

"That is my mind too, O sinless gods, just as you say to me. I shall do what pleases him, and this is what you wish."

Verse 20 (1.102.20)

जातान्कुमारान्स्वानप्सु प्रक्षेप्तुं वै त्वमर्हसि । यथा नचिरकालं नो निष्कृतिः स्यात्त्रिलोकगे ॥

jātānkumārānsvānapsu prakṣeptuṃ vai tvamarhasi | yathā nacirakālaṃ no niṣkṛtiḥ syāttrilokage

"You must cast your own children into the water as soon as they are born, O you who move through the three worlds, so that our release may come before long.

Verse 21 (1.102.21)

जिघृक्षवो वयं सर्वे सुरभिं मन्दबुद्धयः । शप्ता ब्रह्मर्षिणा तेन तांस्त्वं मोचय चाशु नः ॥

jighṛkṣavo vayaṃ sarve surabhiṃ mandabuddhayaḥ | śaptā brahmarṣiṇā tena tāṃstvaṃ mocaya cāśu naḥ

All of us, dull-witted, tried to seize the cow Surabhi, and so that brahmin sage cursed us. Free us quickly."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 22 (1.102.22)

एवमेतत्करिष्यामि पुत्रस्तस्य विधीयताम् । नास्य मोघः सङ्गमः स्यात्पुत्रहेतोर्मया सह ॥

evametatkariṣyāmi putrastasya vidhīyatām | nāsya moghaḥ saṅgamaḥ syātputrahetormayā saha

"I shall do just this. But let one son of his be granted, so that his union with me for the sake of a son is not in vain."

Verse 23 (1.102.23)

तुरीयार्धं प्रदास्यामो वीर्यस्यैकैकशो वयम् । तेन वीर्येण पुत्रस्ते भविता तस्य चेप्सितः ॥

turīyārdhaṃ pradāsyāmo vīryasyaikaikaśo vayam | tena vīryeṇa putraste bhavitā tasya cepsitaḥ

"Each of us will give an eighth part of his vigour. By that vigour you will have a son, such as he desires.

Verse 24 (1.102.24)

न संपत्स्यति मर्त्येषु पुनस्तस्य तु सन्ततिः । तस्मादपुत्रः पुत्रस्ते भविष्यति स वीर्यवान् ॥

na saṃpatsyati martyeṣu punastasya tu santatiḥ | tasmādaputraḥ putraste bhaviṣyati sa vīryavān

But his line will not continue among mortals. So your son will be childless, though full of valour."