“Vaisampayana continued, ‘The celebrated Kunti, thus addressed by her
lord, invoked Sakra (the king of the gods) who thereupon came unto her
and begat him that was afterwards called Arjuna. And as soon as this
child was born, an incorporeal voice, loud and deep as that of the clouds
and filling the whole welkin, distinctly said, addressing Kunti in the
hearing of every creature dwelling in that asylum, ‘This child of thine,
O Kunti, will be equal unto Kartavirya in energy and Siva in prowess.
Invincible like Sakra himself he will spread thy fame far and wide. As
Vishnu (the youngest of Aditi’s sons) had enhanced Aditi’s joy, so shall
this child enhance thy joy. Subjugating the Madras, the Kurus along with
the Somakas, and the people of Chedi, Kasi and Karusha, he will maintain
the prosperity of the Kurus. (Surfeited with libations at the sacrifice
of king Swetaketu), Agni will derive great gratification from the fat of
all creatures dwelling in the Khandava woods (to be burnt down) by the
might of this one’s arms. This mighty hero, vanquishing all the
effeminate monarchs of the earth, will, with his brothers perform three
great sacrifices. In prowess, O Kunti, he will be even as Jamadagnya or
Vishnu. The foremost of all men endued with prowess, he will achieve
great fame. He will gratify in battle (by his heroism) Sankara, the god
of gods (Mahadeva), and will receive from him the great weapon named
Pasupata. This thy son of mighty arms will also slay, at the command of
Indra, those Daityas called the Nivatakavachas who are the enemies of the
gods. He will also acquire all kinds of celestial weapons, and this bull
among men will also retrieve the fortunes of his race.’