Ganga Drowns Her Sons

Verse 1 (1.105.1)

संवत्सरानृतून्मासान्बुबुधे न बहून्गतान् । रममाणस्तया सार्धं यथाकामं नरेश्वरः ॥

saṃvatsarānṛtūnmāsānbubudhe na bahūngatān | ramamāṇastayā sārdhaṃ yathākāmaṃ nareśvaraḥ

Taking his delight with her as he pleased, the lord of men did not notice the many years, seasons and months that went by.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana (narration; the input has no speaker). The first line = 1.92.42cd of the critical edition; the second = 1.92.43ab (नरेश्वरः for janeśvaraḥ). Wikisource lacks 1.92.42ab.

Verse 2 (1.105.2)

दिविष्ठान्मानुषांश्चैव भोगान्भुङ्क्ते स वै नृपः । आसाद्य शान्तनुः श्रीमान्मुमुदे योषितां वराम् ॥

diviṣṭhānmānuṣāṃścaiva bhogānbhuṅkte sa vai nṛpaḥ | āsādya śāntanuḥ śrīmānmumude yoṣitāṃ varām

That king enjoyed pleasures both heavenly and human. Having won that best of women, the glorious Shantanu rejoiced.

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

Verse 3 (1.105.3)

ऋतुकाले तु सा देवी दिव्यं गर्भमधारयत् । अष्टावजनयत्पुत्रांस्तस्मादमरसन्निभान् ॥

ṛtukāle tu sā devī divyaṃ garbhamadhārayat | aṣṭāvajanayatputrāṃstasmādamarasannibhān

In her season the goddess conceived a divine child, and by him she bore eight sons like the immortals.

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 corresponds to 1.92.43cd in a variant form (तस्मादमरसन्निभान् for tasyām amaravarṇinaḥ).

Verse 4 (1.105.4)

जातं जातं च सा पुत्रं क्षिपत्यम्भसि भारत । सूतके कण्ठमाक्रम्य तान्निनाय यमक्षयम् ॥

jātaṃ jātaṃ ca sā putraṃ kṣipatyambhasi bhārata | sūtake kaṇṭhamākramya tānnināya yamakṣayam

Each son, as soon as he was born, she threw into the water, O Bharata; in the days of birth-impurity she pressed upon their throats and sent them to the abode of Yama.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana (narration; the input has no speaker). Corrected क्षिपत्यम्यसि → क्षिपत्यम्भसि (misprint in Wikisource; म for भ in अम्भसि, "into the water", as in the critical edition's kṣipaty ambhasi). The first line = 1.92.44ab of the critical edition; the second (सूतके कण्ठमाक्रम्य…) is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 5 (1.105.5)

प्रीणाम्यहं त्वामित्युक्त्वा गङ्गास्रोतस्यमज्जयत् । तस्य तन्न प्रियं राज्ञः शान्तनोरभवत्तदा ॥

prīṇāmyahaṃ tvāmityuktvā gaṅgāsrotasyamajjayat | tasya tanna priyaṃ rājñaḥ śāntanorabhavattadā

Saying "I gladden you," she drowned them in the current of the Ganga. This was not pleasing to King Shantanu,

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana (narration; the input has no speaker). Lines = 1.92.44cd and 1.92.45ab of the critical edition.

Verse 6 (1.105.6)

न च तां किंचनोवाच त्यागाद्भीतो महीपतिः । अमीमांस्या कर्मयोनिरागमश्चेति शान्तनुः ॥

na ca tāṃ kiṃcanovāca tyāgādbhīto mahīpatiḥ | amīmāṃsyā karmayonirāgamaśceti śāntanuḥ

but the lord of the earth said nothing at all to her, for fear she would leave him. "Her deeds, her origin and her coming are not to be questioned," thought Shantanu,

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana (narration; the input has no speaker). Removed stray wiki marks (`). The first line = 1.92.45cd of the critical edition; the second (अमीमांस्या कर्मयोनिः…) begins a passage not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension), which runs to the end of verse 8.

Verse 7 (1.105.7)

स्मरन्पितृवचश्चैव नापृच्छत्पुत्रकिल्बिषम् । जाताञ्जातांश्च वै हन्ति सा स्त्री सप्त वरान्सुतान् ॥

smaranpitṛvacaścaiva nāpṛcchatputrakilbiṣam | jātāñjātāṃśca vai hanti sā strī sapta varānsutān

and remembering his father's words he did not ask about the crime against his sons. One after another, as they were born, that woman killed seven fine sons,

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 8 (1.105.8)

शान्तनुर्धर्मभङ्गाच्च नापृच्छत्तां कथंचन । अष्टमं तु जिघांसन्त्यां चुक्षुभे शान्तनोर्धृतिः ॥

śāntanurdharmabhaṅgācca nāpṛcchattāṃ kathaṃcana | aṣṭamaṃ tu jighāṃsantyāṃ cukṣubhe śāntanordhṛtiḥ

and for fear of breaking his word Shantanu never questioned her at all. But when she was about to kill the eighth, Shantanu's resolve gave way.

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

Verse 9 (1.105.9)

अथैनामष्टमे पुत्रे जाते प्रहसतीमिव । उवाच राजा दुःखार्तः परीप्सन्पुत्रमात्मनः ॥

athaināmaṣṭame putre jāte prahasatīmiva | uvāca rājā duḥkhārtaḥ parīpsanputramātmanaḥ

Then, when the eighth son was born and she seemed to be laughing, the king, stricken with grief and wishing to save his son, spoke to her.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana (narration; the input has no speaker).

Verse 10 (1.105.10)

आलभन्तीं तदा दृष्ट्वा तां स कौरवनन्दनः । अब्रवीद्भरतश्रेष्ठो वाक्यं परमदुःखितः ॥

ālabhantīṃ tadā dṛṣṭvā tāṃ sa kauravanandanaḥ | abravīdbharataśreṣṭho vākyaṃ paramaduḥkhitaḥ

Seeing her then take hold of the child, that joy of the Kauravas, best of the Bharatas, spoke these words in the deepest grief:

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana (narration; the input has no speaker). Removed stray wiki marks (` ' ।।). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 11 (1.105.11)

मावधीः कस्य काऽसीति किं हिनत्सि सुतानिति । पुत्रघ्नि सुमहत्पापं संप्राप्तं ते सुगर्हितम् ॥

māvadhīḥ kasya kā'sīti kiṃ hinatsi sutāniti | putraghni sumahatpāpaṃ saṃprāptaṃ te sugarhitam

"Do not kill him! Who are you, and whose are you? Why do you destroy my sons? Slayer of sons, a very great and most shameful sin has come upon you."

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana (narration; the input has no speaker).

Verse 12 (1.105.12)

पुत्रकाम न ते हन्मि पुत्रं पुत्रवतां वर । जीर्णस्तु मम वासोऽयं यथा स समयः कृतः ॥

putrakāma na te hanmi putraṃ putravatāṃ vara | jīrṇastu mama vāso'yaṃ yathā sa samayaḥ kṛtaḥ

You who long for a son, best of those blessed with sons, I will not kill your son. But my time of dwelling here is worn out, as our pact laid down.

Verse 13 (1.105.13)

अहं गङ्गा जह्नुसुता महर्षिगणसेविता । देवकार्यार्थसिद्ध्यर्थमुषिताऽहं त्वया सह ॥

ahaṃ gaṅgā jahnusutā maharṣigaṇasevitā | devakāryārthasiddhyarthamuṣitā'haṃ tvayā saha

I am Ganga, daughter of Jahnu, served by hosts of great sages. I lived with you to accomplish a purpose of the gods.

Verse 14 (1.105.14)

इमेऽष्टौ वसवो देवा महाभागा महौजसः । वसिष्ठशापदोषेण मानुषत्वमुपागताः ॥

ime'ṣṭau vasavo devā mahābhāgā mahaujasaḥ | vasiṣṭhaśāpadoṣeṇa mānuṣatvamupāgatāḥ

These eight are the Vasus, gods of great fortune and great might, who came to human birth through the curse of Vasishtha.

Verse 15 (1.105.15)

तेषां जनयिता नान्यस्त्वदृते भुवि विद्यते । मद्विधा मानुषी धात्री लोके नास्तीह काचन ॥

teṣāṃ janayitā nānyastvadṛte bhuvi vidyate | madvidhā mānuṣī dhātrī loke nāstīha kācana

No one on earth but you could be their begetter, and there is no human mother in this world such as I.

Verse 16 (1.105.16)

तस्मात्तज्जननीहेतोर्मानुषत्वमुपागता । जनयित्वा वसूनष्टौ जिता लोकास्त्वयाऽक्षयाः ॥

tasmāttajjananīhetormānuṣatvamupāgatā | janayitvā vasūnaṣṭau jitā lokāstvayā'kṣayāḥ

Therefore I took on human form to be their mother. By begetting the eight Vasus you have won imperishable worlds.

Verse 17 (1.105.17)

देवानां समयस्त्वेष वसूनां संश्रुतो मया । जातं जातं मोक्षयिष्ये जन्मतो मानुषादिति ॥

devānāṃ samayastveṣa vasūnāṃ saṃśruto mayā | jātaṃ jātaṃ mokṣayiṣye janmato mānuṣāditi

And this was the pact with the gods, the Vasus, to which I agreed: "Each one as he is born I will set free from human birth."

Verse 18 (1.105.18)

तत्ते शापाद्विनिर्मुक्ता आपवस्य महात्मनः । स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु गमिष्यामि पुत्रं पाहि महाव्रतम् ॥

tatte śāpādvinirmuktā āpavasya mahātmanaḥ | svasti te'stu gamiṣyāmi putraṃ pāhi mahāvratam

So they are freed from the curse of the great-souled Apava. Farewell; I shall go. Protect this son of great vows.

Note on the text: Corrected तेस्तु → तेऽस्तु (misprint in Wikisource; a missing avagraha (ते अस्तु), as in the critical edition's te 'stu).

Verse 19 (1.105.19)

अयं तव सुतस्तेषां वीर्येण कुलनन्दनः । संभूतोऽतिजनं कर्म करिष्यति न संशयः ॥

ayaṃ tava sutasteṣāṃ vīryeṇa kulanandanaḥ | saṃbhūto'tijanaṃ karma kariṣyati na saṃśayaḥ

This son of yours, born of their vigour and the delight of your house, will without doubt achieve deeds beyond those of other men.

Note on the text: Wikisource verse 19, printed in the same row as the closing colophon and so lost by the extraction; restored from the Wikisource page. Removed a stray wiki mark, and corrected संभूतोतिजनं → संभूतोऽतिजनं (missing avagraha). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).