The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Adi Parva
Religion
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Adi Parva
Epic literature, Sanskrit
"'"And when the earth was thus deprived of Kshatriyas by the great Rishi,
the Kshatriya ladies all over the land had offspring raised by Brahmanas
skilled in the Vedas. It has been said in the Vedas that the sons so
raised belongeth to him that had married the mother. And the Kshatriya
ladies went in unto the Brahamanas not lustfully but from motives of
virtue. Indeed, it was thus that the Kshatriya race was revived.
"'"In this connection there is another old history that I will recite to
you. There was in olden days a wise Rishi of the name of Utathya. He had a
wife of the name Mamata whom he dearly loved. One day Utathya's younger
brother Vrihaspati, the priest of the celestials, endued with great energy,
approached Mamata. The latter, however, told her husband's younger
brother--that foremost of eloquent men--that she had conceived from her
connection with his elder brother and that, therefore, he should not then
seek for the consummation of his wishes. She continued, 'O illustrious
Vrihaspati, the child that I have conceived hath studied in his mother's
womb the Vedas with the six Angas, Semen tuum frustra perdi non potest. How
can then this womb of mine afford room for two children at a time?
Therefore, it behoveth thee not to seek for the consummation of thy desire
at such a time.' Thus addressed by her, Vrihaspati, though possessed of
great wisdom, succeeded not in suppressing his desire. Quum auten jam cum
illa coiturus esset, the child in the womb then addressed him and said, 'O
father, cease from thy attempt. There is no space here for two. O
illustrious one, the room is small. I have occupied it first. Semen tuum
perdi non potest. It behoveth thee not to afflict me.' But Vrihaspati
without listening to what that child in the womb said, sought the embraces
of Mamata possessing the most beautiful pair of eyes. Ille tamen Muni qui
in venture erat punctum temporis quo humor vitalis jam emissum iret
providens, viam per quam semen intrare posset pedibus obstruxit. Semen ita
exhisum, excidit et in terram projectumest. And the illustrious
Vrihaspati, beholding this, became indignant, and reproached Utathya's
child and cursed him, saying, 'Because thou hast spoken to me in the way
thou hast at a time of pleasure that is sought after by all creatures,
perpetual darkness shall overtake thee.' And from this curse of the
illustrious Vrishaspati Utathya's child who was equal unto Vrihaspati in
energy, was born blind and came to be called Dirghatamas (enveloped in
perpetual darkness). And the wise Dirghatamas, possessed of a knowledge
of the Vedas, though born blind, succeeded yet by virtue of his learning,
in obtaining for a wife a young and handsome Brahmana maiden of the name
of Pradweshi. And having married her, the illustrious Dirghatamas, for the
expansion of Utathya's race, begat upon her several children with Gautama
as their eldest. These children, however, were all given to covetousness
and folly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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