Ganga Becomes Shantanu's Wife

Verse 1 (1.104.1)

एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो राज्ञः सस्मितं मृदु वल्गु च । यशस्विनी च साऽगच्छच्छान्तनोर्भूतये तदा ॥

etacchrutvā vaco rājñaḥ sasmitaṃ mṛdu valgu ca | yaśasvinī ca sā'gacchacchāntanorbhūtaye tadā

Hearing these words of the king, the renowned lady, smiling, gentle and sweet, then went to Shantanu for his good fortune.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana (narration; the input has no speaker). The first line = 1.92.32ab of the critical edition; the second (यशस्विनी च साऽगच्छत्…) is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 2 (1.104.2)

सा तु दृष्ट्वा नृपश्रेष्ठं चरन्तं तीरमाश्रितम् । वसूनां समयं स्मृत्वाऽथाभ्यगच्छदनिन्दिता ॥

sā tu dṛṣṭvā nṛpaśreṣṭhaṃ carantaṃ tīramāśritam | vasūnāṃ samayaṃ smṛtvā'thābhyagacchadaninditā

Seeing that best of kings wandering along the bank, the blameless lady remembered her pact with the Vasus and approached him.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana (narration; the input has no speaker). The first line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the second = 1.92.32cd.

Verse 3 (1.104.3)

प्रजार्थिनी राजपुत्रं शान्तनुं पृथिवीपतिम् । प्रतीपवचनं चापि संस्मृत्यैव स्वयं नृपम् ॥

prajārthinī rājaputraṃ śāntanuṃ pṛthivīpatim | pratīpavacanaṃ cāpi saṃsmṛtyaiva svayaṃ nṛpam

Wishing for offspring, and remembering Pratipa's words as well, she came of her own accord to the prince Shantanu, lord of the earth.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana (narration; the input has no speaker). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 4 (1.104.4)

कालोऽयमिति मत्वा सा वसूनां शापचोदिता । उवाच चैव राज्ञः सा ह्लादयन्ती मनो गिरा ॥

kālo'yamiti matvā sā vasūnāṃ śāpacoditā | uvāca caiva rājñaḥ sā hlādayantī mano girā

Thinking "This is the time," and impelled by the curse on the Vasus, she spoke to the king, gladdening his heart with her words:

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana (narration; the input has no speaker). The first line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the second = 1.92.33ab.

Verse 5 (1.104.5)

भविष्यामि महीपाल महिषी ते वशानुगा । न तु त्वं वा द्वितीयो वा ज्ञातुमिच्छेत्कथंचन ॥

bhaviṣyāmi mahīpāla mahiṣī te vaśānugā | na tu tvaṃ vā dvitīyo vā jñātumicchetkathaṃcana

I will be your queen, lord of the earth, obedient to your will. But neither you nor anyone else must ever seek to know about me.

Note on the text: The first line = 1.92.33cd of the critical edition; the second (न तु त्वं वा द्वितीयो वा…) is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 6 (1.104.6)

यत्तु कुर्यामहं राजञ्शुभं वा यदि वाऽशुभम् । न तद्वारयितव्याऽस्मि न वक्तव्या तथाऽप्रियम् ॥

yattu kuryāmahaṃ rājañśubhaṃ vā yadi vā'śubham | na tadvārayitavyā'smi na vaktavyā tathā'priyam

Whatever I may do, O king, whether good or ill, you must not stop me, nor speak unkindly to me.

Verse 7 (1.104.7)

एवं हि वर्तमानेऽहं त्वयि वत्स्यामि पार्थिव । वारिता विप्रियं चोक्ता त्यजेयं त्वामसंशयम् ॥

evaṃ hi vartamāne'haṃ tvayi vatsyāmi pārthiva | vāritā vipriyaṃ coktā tyajeyaṃ tvāmasaṃśayam

As long as you behave so, I will live with you, O king. If I am stopped or spoken to unkindly, I will leave you, without a doubt.

Verse 8 (1.104.8)

एष मे समयो राजन्भज मां त्वं यथेप्सितम् । अनुनीताऽस्मि ते पित्रा भर्ता मे त्वं भव प्रभो ॥

eṣa me samayo rājanbhaja māṃ tvaṃ yathepsitam | anunītā'smi te pitrā bhartā me tvaṃ bhava prabho

This is my condition, O king; take me as you wish. Your father prevailed on me; be my husband, lord.

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

Verse 9 (1.104.9)

तथेति सा यदा तूक्ता तदा भरतसत्तम । प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे प्राप्य तं पार्थिवोत्तमम् ॥

tatheti sā yadā tūktā tadā bharatasattama | praharṣamatulaṃ lebhe prāpya taṃ pārthivottamam

When she had been answered "So be it," O best of the Bharatas, she felt joy beyond compare at winning that finest of kings.

Verse 10 (1.104.10)

प्रतिज्ञाय तु तत्तस्यास्तथेति मनुजाधिपः । रथमारोप्य तां देवीं जगाम स तया सह ॥

pratijñāya tu tattasyāstatheti manujādhipaḥ | rathamāropya tāṃ devīṃ jagāma sa tayā saha

Having promised her that, saying "So be it," the lord of men set the goddess in his chariot and went away with her.

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

Verse 11 (1.104.11)

सा च शान्तनुमभ्यागात्साक्षाल्लक्ष्मीरिवापरा । आसाद्य शान्तनुस्तां च बुभुजे कामतो वशी ॥

sā ca śāntanumabhyāgātsākṣāllakṣmīrivāparā | āsādya śāntanustāṃ ca bubhuje kāmato vaśī

And she came to Shantanu like a second Lakshmi in person. Having won her, Shantanu, master of himself, enjoyed her as he desired.

Note on the text: The first line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the second = 1.92.37ab.

Verse 12 (1.104.12)

न प्रष्टव्येति मन्वानो न स तां किंचिदूचिवान् । स तस्याः शीलवृत्तेन रूपौदार्यगुणेन च ॥

na praṣṭavyeti manvāno na sa tāṃ kiṃcidūcivān | sa tasyāḥ śīlavṛttena rūpaudāryaguṇena ca

Thinking "She must not be questioned," he said nothing at all to her. By her character and conduct, by her beauty, generosity and virtue,

Note on the text: Lines = 1.92.37cd and 1.92.38ab of the critical edition.

Verse 13 (1.104.13)

उपचारेण च रहस्तुतोष जगतीपतिः । स राजा परमप्रीतः परमस्त्रीप्रलालितः ॥

upacāreṇa ca rahastutoṣa jagatīpatiḥ | sa rājā paramaprītaḥ paramastrīpralālitaḥ

and by her attentions in private, the lord of the world was content. That king was supremely happy, cherished by the finest of women.

Note on the text: The first line = 1.92.38cd of the critical edition; the second (स राजा परमप्रीतः…) is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 14 (1.104.14)

दिव्यरूपा हि सा देवी गङ्गा त्रिपथगामिनी । मानुषं विग्रहं कृत्वा श्रीमन्तं वरवर्णिनी ॥

divyarūpā hi sā devī gaṅgā tripathagāminī | mānuṣaṃ vigrahaṃ kṛtvā śrīmantaṃ varavarṇinī

For she was a goddess of divine form, Ganga who flows on three paths; the fair lady had taken on a glorious human body.

Verse 15 (1.104.15)

भाग्योपनतकामस्य भार्या चोपनताऽभवत् । शन्तनोर्नृपसिंहस्य देवराजसमद्युतेः ॥

bhāgyopanatakāmasya bhāryā copanatā'bhavat | śantanornṛpasiṃhasya devarājasamadyuteḥ

She had become the wife of Shantanu, lion among kings, equal in splendour to the king of the gods, whose desires good fortune had brought to him.

Verse 16 (1.104.16)

संभोगस्नेहचातुर्यैर्हावलास्यैर्मनोहरैः । राजानं रमयामास यथा रज्येत स प्रभुः ॥

saṃbhogasnehacāturyairhāvalāsyairmanoharaiḥ | rājānaṃ ramayāmāsa yathā rajyeta sa prabhuḥ

With the arts of love and tenderness, with charming gestures and dances, she delighted the king so that the lord was enthralled.