Kunti Chooses Pandu

Verse 1 (1.121.1)

सत्त्वरूपगुणोपेता धर्मारामा महाव्रता । दुहिता कुन्तिभोजस्य पृथा पृथुललोचना ॥

sattvarūpaguṇopetā dharmārāmā mahāvratā | duhitā kuntibhojasya pṛthā pṛthulalocanā

Vaishampayana said: Endowed with goodness, beauty and virtues, delighting in dharma and great in her vows, was Kuntibhoja's daughter, Pritha of the wide eyes.

Note on the text: Corrected सत्व → सत्त्व (misprint in Wikisource; dropped त्, as in the critical edition's rūpasattva-). The first line = 1.105.1ab of the critical edition (which has rūpa before sattva); the second is not in it (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 2 (1.121.2)

तां तु तेजस्विनीं कन्यां रूपयौवनशालिनीम् । व्यावृण्वन्पार्थिवाः केचिदतीव स्त्रीगुणैर्युताम् ॥

tāṃ tu tejasvinīṃ kanyāṃ rūpayauvanaśālinīm | vyāvṛṇvanpārthivāḥ kecidatīva strīguṇairyutām

Some kings sought that radiant maiden, rich in beauty and youth and endowed in full measure with a woman's virtues.

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

Verse 3 (1.121.3)

ततः सा कुन्तिभोजेन राज्ञाहूय नराधिपान् । पित्रा स्वयंवरे दत्ता दुहिता राजसत्तम ॥

tataḥ sā kuntibhojena rājñāhūya narādhipān | pitrā svayaṃvare dattā duhitā rājasattama

Then, O best of kings, her father, King Kuntibhoja, summoned the rulers of men and gave his daughter away at a svayamvara.

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

Verse 4 (1.121.4)

ततः सा रङ्गमध्यस्थं तेषां राज्ञां मनस्विनी । ददर्श राजशार्दूलं पाण्डुं भरतसत्तमम् ॥

tataḥ sā raṅgamadhyasthaṃ teṣāṃ rājñāṃ manasvinī | dadarśa rājaśārdūlaṃ pāṇḍuṃ bharatasattamam

Then the high-minded girl saw, standing in the middle of the arena among those kings, Pandu, the tiger among kings, the best of the Bharatas,

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

Verse 5 (1.121.5)

सिंहदर्पं महोरस्कं वृषभाक्षं महाबलम् । आदित्यमिव सर्वेषां राज्ञां प्रच्छाद्य वै प्रभाः ॥

siṃhadarpaṃ mahoraskaṃ vṛṣabhākṣaṃ mahābalam | ādityamiva sarveṣāṃ rājñāṃ pracchādya vai prabhāḥ

proud as a lion, broad-chested, bull-eyed and mighty, eclipsing the splendour of all the kings as the sun does,

Note on the text: The first line is a variant of 1.105.2ab of the critical edition (siṃhadaṃṣṭraṃ gajaskandham ṛṣabhākṣaṃ mahābalam); the second is not in it (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 6 (1.121.6)

तिष्ठन्तं राजसमितौ पुरन्दरमिवापरम् । तं दृष्ट्वा साऽनवद्याङ्गी कुन्तिभोजसुता शुभा ॥

tiṣṭhantaṃ rājasamitau purandaramivāparam | taṃ dṛṣṭvā sā'navadyāṅgī kuntibhojasutā śubhā

standing in the royal assembly like a second Purandara. Seeing him, Kuntibhoja's lovely daughter of flawless limbs,

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

Verse 7 (1.121.7)

पाण्डुं नरवरं रङ्गे हृदयेनाकुलाऽभवत् । ततः कामपरीताङ्गी सकृत्प्रचलमानसा ॥

pāṇḍuṃ naravaraṃ raṅge hṛdayenākulā'bhavat | tataḥ kāmaparītāṅgī sakṛtpracalamānasā

seeing Pandu, the best of men, in the arena, was stirred to the heart. Then, her body overcome by love and her mind wavering for a moment,

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

Verse 8 (1.121.8)

व्रीडमाना स्रजं कुन्ती राज्ञः स्कन्धे समासजत् । तं निशम्य वृतं पाण्डुं कुन्त्या सर्वे नराधिपाः ॥

vrīḍamānā srajaṃ kuntī rājñaḥ skandhe samāsajat | taṃ niśamya vṛtaṃ pāṇḍuṃ kuntyā sarve narādhipāḥ

Kunti shyly placed the garland on the king's shoulder. When all the kings heard that Pandu had been chosen by Kunti,

Note on the text: Corrected व्रीडमान → व्रीडमाना (misprint in Wikisource; the participle must be feminine, agreeing with कुन्ती). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 9 (1.121.9)

यथागतं समाजग्मुर्गजैरश्वै रथैस्तथा । ततस्तस्याः पिता राजन्विवाहमकरोत्प्रभुः ॥

yathāgataṃ samājagmurgajairaśvai rathaistathā | tatastasyāḥ pitā rājanvivāhamakarotprabhuḥ

they went back as they had come, on elephants, horses and chariots. Then her father, the lord, O king, performed the marriage.

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

Verse 10 (1.121.10)

स तया कुन्तिभोजस्य दुहित्रा कुरुनन्दनः । युयुजेऽमितसौभाग्यः पौलोम्या मघवानिव ॥

sa tayā kuntibhojasya duhitrā kurunandanaḥ | yuyuje'mitasaubhāgyaḥ paulomyā maghavāniva

The joy of the Kurus, of boundless good fortune, was united with Kuntibhoja's daughter as Maghavan is with Pauloomi.

Verse 11 (1.121.11)

कुन्त्याः पाण्डोश्च राजेन्द्र कुन्तिभोजो महीपतिः । कृत्वोद्वाहं तदा तं तु नानावसुभिरर्चितम् । स्वपुरं प्रेषयामास स राजा कुरुसत्तम ॥

kuntyāḥ pāṇḍośca rājendra kuntibhojo mahīpatiḥ | kṛtvodvāhaṃ tadā taṃ tu nānāvasubhirarcitam | svapuraṃ preṣayāmāsa sa rājā kurusattama

O king of kings, when King Kuntibhoja, lord of the earth, had celebrated the wedding of Kunti and Pandu and honoured him with wealth of many kinds, that king sent him back to his own city, O best of the Kurus.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; CE apparatus after 1.105.7, which reads kurusattamam).

Verse 12 (1.121.12)

ततो बलेन महता नानाध्वजपताकिना । स्तूयमानः स चाशीर्भिर्ब्राह्मणैश्च महर्षिभिः ॥

tato balena mahatā nānādhvajapatākinā | stūyamānaḥ sa cāśīrbhirbrāhmaṇaiśca maharṣibhiḥ

Then, with a great army bearing many flags and banners, praised with blessings by brahmins and great sages,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; CE apparatus after 1.105.7).

Verse 13 (1.121.13)

संप्राप्य नगरं राजा पाण्डुः कौरवनन्दनः । न्यवेशयत तां भार्यां कुन्तीं स्वभवने प्रभुः ॥

saṃprāpya nagaraṃ rājā pāṇḍuḥ kauravanandanaḥ | nyaveśayata tāṃ bhāryāṃ kuntīṃ svabhavane prabhuḥ

King Pandu, the joy of the Kauravas, reached his city, and the lord settled his wife Kunti in his own palace.

Note on the text: Corrected न्यवेशत → न्यवेशयत (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped य leaves the half-line a syllable short and the verb without its causative sense; the CE apparatus reads nyaveśayata). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; CE apparatus after 1.105.7).