वैशंपायन उवाच
सा सिच्यमाना अष्ठीला अभवच् छतधा तदा ॥
अङ्गुष्ठपर्वमात्राणां गर्भाणां पृथग् एव तु ॥
एकाधिकशतं पूर्णं यथायोगं विशां पते ॥
मांसपेश्यास् तदा राजन् क्रमशः कालपर्ययात् ॥
ततस् तांस् तेषु कुण्डेषु गर्भान् अवदधे तदा ॥
स्वनुगुप्तेषु देशेषु रक्षां च व्यदधात् ततः ॥
शशास चैव भगवान् कालेनैतावता पुनः ॥
विघट्टनीयान्य् एतानि कुण्डानीति स्म सौबलीम् ॥
इत्य् उक्त्वा भगवान् व्यासस् तथा प्रतिविधाय च ॥
जगाम तपसे धीमान् हिमवन्तं शिलोच्चयम् ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
sā sicyamānā aṣṭhīlā abhavac chatadhā tadā ||
aṅguṣṭhaparvamātrāṇāṃ garbhāṇāṃ pṛthag eva tu ||
ekādhikaśataṃ pūrṇaṃ yathāyogaṃ viśāṃ pate ||
māṃsapeśyās tadā rājan kramaśaḥ kālaparyayāt ||
tatas tāṃs teṣu kuṇḍeṣu garbhān avadadhe tadā ||
svanugupteṣu deśeṣu rakṣāṃ ca vyadadhāt tataḥ ||
śaśāsa caiva bhagavān kālenaitāvatā punaḥ ||
vighaṭṭanīyāny etāni kuṇḍānīti sma saubalīm ||
ity uktvā bhagavān vyāsas tathā pratividhāya ca ||
jagāma tapase dhīmān himavantaṃ śiloccayam ||
"That sprinkled ball then divided into a hundred parts -- in the form of embryos, each the size of a joint of the thumb, separately; a hundred and one in full, as was fitting, O lord of the people, came forth from the lump of flesh, gradually, with the passage of time. Then he placed those embryos in those vessels, in well-guarded places, and set a watch over them. And the lord commanded: 'After the due time has passed, these vessels are to be opened' -- so he said to the daughter of Subala. Having said this and having so arranged it, the wise Vyasa went for austerity to the Himalaya, the mountain of stone."
fc0161f06be2 · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:30:26 PM UTC
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Here, by Vyasa's wonder, a hundred and one embryos arise from the lump of flesh. Telling is the number "a hundred and one": a hundred sons and, beyond them, the daughter Duhshala. Telling too is how what was promised comes to pass despite the impatience that had ruined it: the faithfulness of the saint's word overcomes human failing. But there is another side as well: from the very start the birth of the Kauravas is unnatural -- not from the womb but from vessels, not all at once but out of a severed lump. This unnaturalness is like a seal upon their nature, a foretoken that morally too they will depart from the natural course of dharma. Telling is that, having arranged everything, Vyasa at once withdraws for austerity: the saint accomplishes what is needed and does not stay to enjoy the fruits, returning instead to tapas. Thus scripture shows both the mercy that saved the line and the dark sign upon the birth of those destined to destroy it.