Mahabharata · 1.104.8–9
॥
Devanāgarī
तथोक्ता सा तु विप्रेण तेन कौतूहलात् तदा ॥
कन्या सती देवम् अर्कम् आजुहाव यशस्विनी ॥
सा ददर्श तम् आयान्तं भास्करं लोकभावनम् ॥
विस्मिता चानवद्याङ्गी दृष्ट्वा तन् महद् अद्भुतम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tathoktā sā tu vipreṇa tena kautūhalāt tadā ||
kanyā satī devam arkam ājuhāva yaśasvinī ||
sā dadarśa tam āyāntaṃ bhāskaraṃ lokabhāvanam ||
vismitā cānavadyāṅgī dṛṣṭvā tan mahad adbhutam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तथा उक्ता सा तु विप्रेण तेन कौतूहलात् तदाtathā uktā sā tu vipreṇa tena kautūhalāt tadāthus instructed by that brahmin, she then, out of curiosity
कन्या सती देवम् अर्कम् आजुहाव यशस्विनीkanyā satī devam arkam ājuhāva yaśasvinī[still] a maiden, the illustrious one, summoned the god Sun (Arka)
सा ददर्श तम् आयान्तं भास्करं लोकभावनम्sā dadarśa tam āyāntaṃ bhāskaraṃ lokabhāvanamshe saw him coming, Bhaskara (the Sun), nourisher of the worlds
विस्मिता च अनवद्याङ्गी दृष्ट्वा तत् महत् अद्भुतम्vismitā ca anavadyāṅgī dṛṣṭvā tat mahat adbhutamand, flawless of form, was amazed, having beheld that great wonder
तथोक्ताtathoktāoriginal form "tathoktā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चानवद्याङ्गीcānavadyāṅgīoriginal form "cānavadyāṅgī", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तन्tanoriginal form "tan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महद्mahadoriginal form "mahad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Thus instructed by that brahmin, she then, out of curiosity, still a maiden, the illustrious one, summoned the god Sun; and she saw him coming, Bhaskara, nourisher of the worlds, and, flawless of form, was amazed, having beheld that great wonder."
Version
1d3cb8757045 · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:30:26 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here is a fateful step: the young maiden tests the sacred mantra "out of curiosity" (kautūhalāt). This word is telling: not necessity, not a mature decision, but childlike curiosity moves Kunti — and so what follows will turn to sorrow. Here is a warning about the power of sacred means: a mantra is no toy, and the god summoned comes irrevocably. It is also telling that Kunti, still a maiden, gave no thought to the consequences — she wished only to test the truth of the gift. Thus the scripture teaches reverent handling of the sacred: what is given for a time of extremity, used lightly, brings inescapable results. Yet already, behind the human misstep, providence is at work: through this curiosity Karna will come into the world — one of the greatest and most tragic heroes of the epic, whose birth and secret will become the spring of many events.