The Wager of Kadru and Vinata

Verse 1 (1.20.1)

एतत्ते कथितं सर्वममृतं मथितं यथा । यत्र सोऽश्वः समुत्पन्नः श्रीमानतुलविक्रमः ॥

etatte kathitaṃ sarvamamṛtaṃ mathitaṃ yathā | yatra so'śvaḥ samutpannaḥ śrīmānatulavikramaḥ

Thus I have told you all of how the nectar was churned, in the course of which that glorious horse of matchless prowess came forth.

Verse 2 (1.20.2)

तं निशाम्य तदा कद्रूर्विनतामिदमब्रवीत् । उच्चैःश्रवा हि किंवर्णो भद्रे प्रब्रूहि मा चिरम् ॥

taṃ niśāmya tadā kadrūrvinatāmidamabravīt | uccaiḥśravā hi kiṃvarṇo bhadre prabrūhi mā ciram

Seeing that horse, Kadru then said to Vinata: "Good lady, tell me quickly, what colour is Uchchaihshravas?"

Verse 3 (1.20.3)

श्वेत एवाश्वराजोऽयं किं वा त्वं मन्यसे शुभे । ब्रूहि वर्णं त्वमप्यस्य ततोऽत्र विपणावहे ॥

śveta evāśvarājo'yaṃ kiṃ vā tvaṃ manyase śubhe | brūhi varṇaṃ tvamapyasya tato'tra vipaṇāvahe

This king of horses is surely white. Or what do you think, fair one? Name its colour yourself, and then we shall lay a wager on it.

Verse 4 (1.20.4)

कृष्णवालमहं मन्ये हयमेनं शुचिस्मिते । एहि सार्धं मया दीव्य दासीभावाय भामिनि ॥

kṛṣṇavālamahaṃ manye hayamenaṃ śucismite | ehi sārdhaṃ mayā dīvya dāsībhāvāya bhāmini

I think this horse has a black tail, you of the bright smile. Come, lovely one, wager with me, with servitude as the stake.

Verse 5 (1.20.5)

एवं ते समयं कृत्वा दासीभावाय वै मिथः । जग्मतुः स्वगृहानेव श्वो द्रक्ष्याव इति स्म ह ॥

evaṃ te samayaṃ kṛtvā dāsībhāvāya vai mithaḥ | jagmatuḥ svagṛhāneva śvo drakṣyāva iti sma ha

Having thus made a compact between themselves, with servitude as the stake, the two went home, saying, "We shall look tomorrow."

Verse 6 (1.20.6)

ततः पुत्रसहस्रं तु कद्रूर्जिह्मं चिकीर्षती । आज्ञापयामास तदा वाला भूत्वाऽञ्जनप्रभाः ॥

tataḥ putrasahasraṃ tu kadrūrjihmaṃ cikīrṣatī | ājñāpayāmāsa tadā vālā bhūtvā'ñjanaprabhāḥ

Then Kadru, bent on deceit, commanded her thousand sons to become hairs as black as collyrium

Note on the text: Corrected जिह्यं → जिह्मं (misprint in Wikisource; जिह्य is not a word, "crooked" is जिह्म, as in the critical edition).

Verse 7 (1.20.7)

आविशध्वं हयं क्षिप्रं दासी न स्यामहं यथा । नावपद्यन्त ये वाक्यं ताञ्शशाप भुजंगमान् ॥

āviśadhvaṃ hayaṃ kṣipraṃ dāsī na syāmahaṃ yathā | nāvapadyanta ye vākyaṃ tāñśaśāpa bhujaṃgamān

"and quickly enter the horse, so that I may not become a slave." The serpents who would not do as she said, she cursed:

Verse 8 (1.20.8)

सर्पसत्रे वर्तमाने पावको वः प्रधक्ष्यति । जनमेजयस्य राजर्षेः पाण्डवेयस्य धीमतः ॥

sarpasatre vartamāne pāvako vaḥ pradhakṣyati | janamejayasya rājarṣeḥ pāṇḍaveyasya dhīmataḥ

"When the snake sacrifice of the wise royal sage Janamejaya, the descendant of the Pandavas, is under way, Fire will burn you up."

Verse 9 (1.20.9)

शापमेनं तु शुश्राव स्वयमेव पितामहः । अतिक्रूरं समुत्सृष्टं कद्र्वा दैवादतीव हि ॥

śāpamenaṃ tu śuśrāva svayameva pitāmahaḥ | atikrūraṃ samutsṛṣṭaṃ kadrvā daivādatīva hi

The Grandsire himself heard this curse, uttered by Kadru with exceeding cruelty, as if driven by fate.

Verse 10 (1.20.10)

सार्धं देवगणैः सर्वैर्वाचं तामन्वमोदत । बहुत्वं प्रेक्ष्य सर्पाणां प्रजानां हितकाम्यया ॥

sārdhaṃ devagaṇaiḥ sarvairvācaṃ tāmanvamodata | bahutvaṃ prekṣya sarpāṇāṃ prajānāṃ hitakāmyayā

Together with all the hosts of the gods he approved her words, seeing how many the serpents were and wishing the good of all creatures.

Verse 11 (1.20.11)

तिग्मवीर्यविषा ह्येते दन्दशूका महाबलाः । तेषां तीक्ष्णविषत्वाद्धि प्रजानां च हिताय च ॥

tigmavīryaviṣā hyete dandaśūkā mahābalāḥ | teṣāṃ tīkṣṇaviṣatvāddhi prajānāṃ ca hitāya ca

For these biters are of fierce strength and potent venom; because of their sharp poison, and for the welfare of creatures,

Note on the text: The critical edition's 1.18.11 consists of these two lines followed by the line प्रादाद्विषहरीं विद्यां… (here the last line of verse 16); the intervening verses 12–16 are not in the critical edition.

Verse 12 (1.20.12)

युक्तं मात्रा कृतं तेषां परपीडोपसर्पिणाम् । अन्येषामपि सत्त्वानां नित्यं दोषपरास्तु ये ॥

yuktaṃ mātrā kṛtaṃ teṣāṃ parapīḍopasarpiṇām | anyeṣāmapi sattvānāṃ nityaṃ doṣaparāstu ye

it was fitting that their mother did this to them, since they creep about to harm others. And among other creatures too, for those who are ever bent on doing wrong,

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

Verse 13 (1.20.13)

तेषां प्राणान्तिको दण्डो दैवेन विनिपात्यते । एवं संभाष्य देवस्तु पूज्य कद्रूं च तां तदा ॥

teṣāṃ prāṇāntiko daṇḍo daivena vinipātyate | evaṃ saṃbhāṣya devastu pūjya kadrūṃ ca tāṃ tadā

fate brings down a punishment that ends their life. Having spoken thus, the god then honoured Kadru

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

Verse 14 (1.20.14)

आहूय कश्यपं देव इदं वचनमब्रवीत् । यदेते दन्दशूकाश्च सर्पा जातास्त्वयानघ ॥

āhūya kaśyapaṃ deva idaṃ vacanamabravīt | yadete dandaśūkāśca sarpā jātāstvayānagha

and, summoning Kashyapa, spoke these words: "Sinless one, these biting serpents born of you,

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

Verse 15 (1.20.15)

विषोल्बणा महाभोगा मात्रा शप्ताः परंतप । तत्र मन्युस्त्वया तात न कर्तव्यः कथंचन ॥

viṣolbaṇā mahābhogā mātrā śaptāḥ paraṃtapa | tatra manyustvayā tāta na kartavyaḥ kathaṃcana

of virulent venom and huge bodies, have been cursed by their mother, scorcher of foes. Do not, my son, feel any anger over it at all.

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

Verse 16 (1.20.16)

दृष्टं पुरातनं ह्येतद्यज्ञे सर्पविनाशनम् । इत्युक्त्वा सृष्टिकृद्देवस्तं प्रसाद्य प्रजापतिम् । प्रादाद्विषहरीं विद्यां कश्यपाय महात्मने ॥

dṛṣṭaṃ purātanaṃ hyetadyajñe sarpavināśanam | ityuktvā sṛṣṭikṛddevastaṃ prasādya prajāpatim | prādādviṣaharīṃ vidyāṃ kaśyapāya mahātmane

This destruction of the serpents in a sacrifice was foreseen long ago." Having said this, the god who creates the world appeased that Prajapati and gave the great-souled Kashyapa the lore that removes poison.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension), except the third line, which is the third line of CE 1.18.11.

Verse 17 (1.20.17)

एवं शप्तेषु नागेषु कद्र्वातु द्विजसत्तम । उद्विग्नः शापतस्तस्याः कद्रूं कर्कोटकोऽब्रवीत् ॥

evaṃ śapteṣu nāgeṣu kadrvātu dvijasattama | udvignaḥ śāpatastasyāḥ kadrūṃ karkoṭako'bravīt

When the serpents had thus been cursed by Kadru, best of brahmins, Karkotaka, alarmed by her curse, spoke to Kadru;

Note on the text: Removed the opening backtick (a wiki mark for an added passage). Corrected अद्विग्नः → उद्विग्नः (misprint in Wikisource; अद्विग्नः is not a word, and उद्विग्नः fits the sense and the metre). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 18 (1.20.18)

मातरं परमप्रीतस्तथा भुजगसत्तमः । आविश्य वाजिनं मुख्यं बालो भूत्वाञ्जनप्रभः ॥

mātaraṃ paramaprītastathā bhujagasattamaḥ | āviśya vājinaṃ mukhyaṃ bālo bhūtvāñjanaprabhaḥ

that best of serpents said to his mother with great affection: "I shall become a hair as black as collyrium and enter the foremost of horses,

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

Verse 19 (1.20.19)

दर्शयिष्यामि तत्राहमात्मानं काममाश्वस । एवमस्त्विति सा पुत्रं प्रत्युवाच यशस्विनी ॥

darśayiṣyāmi tatrāhamātmānaṃ kāmamāśvasa | evamastviti sā putraṃ pratyuvāca yaśasvinī

and show myself there. Set your mind at rest." "So be it," the illustrious mother replied to her son.

Note on the text: Removed the closing quote mark (a wiki mark for an added passage). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).