Mahabharata 3.290.1-10

Devanāgarī

वैशंपायन उवाच
गते तस्मिन् द्विजश्रेष्ठे कस्मिंश् चित् कालपर्यये ॥
चिन्तयाम् आस सा कन्या मन्त्रग्रामबलाबलम् ॥
अयं वै कीदृशस् तेन मम दत्तो महात्मना ॥
मन्त्रग्रामो बलं तस्य ज्ञास्ये नातिचिराद् इव ॥
एवं संचिन्तयन्ती सा ददर्शर्तुं यदृच्छया ॥
व्रीडिता साभवद् बाला कन्याभावे रजस्वला ॥
अथोद्यन्तं सहस्रांशुं पृथा दीप्तं ददर्श ह ॥
न ततर्प च रूपेण भानोः संध्यागतस्य सा ॥
तस्या दृष्टिर् अभूद् दिव्या सापश्यद् दिव्यदर्शनम् ॥
आमुक्तकवचं देवं कुण्डलाभ्यां विभूषितम् ॥
तस्याः कौतूहलं त्व् आसीन् मन्त्रं प्रति नराधिप ॥
आह्वानम् अकरोत् साथ तस्य देवस्य भामिनी ॥
प्राणान् उपस्पृश्य तदा आजुहाव दिवाकरम् ॥
आजगाम ततो राजंस् त्वरमाणो दिवाकरः ॥
मधुपिङ्गो महाबाहुः कम्बुग्रीवो हसन्न् इव ॥
अङ्गदी बद्धमुकुटो दिशः प्रज्वालयन्न् इव ॥
योगात् कृत्वा द्विधात्मानम् आजगाम तताप च ॥
आबभाषे ततः कुन्तीं साम्ना परमवल्गुना ॥
आगतो ऽस्मि वशं भद्रे तव मन्त्रबलात्कृतः ॥
किं करोम्य् अवशो राज्ञि ब्रूहि कर्ता तद् अस्मि ते ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
gate tasmin dvijaśreṣṭhe kasmiṃś cit kālaparyaye ||
cintayām āsa sā kanyā mantragrāmabalābalam ||
ayaṃ vai kīdṛśas tena mama datto mahātmanā ||
mantragrāmo balaṃ tasya jñāsye nāticirād iva ||
evaṃ saṃcintayantī sā dadarśartuṃ yadṛcchayā ||
vrīḍitā sābhavad bālā kanyābhāve rajasvalā ||
athodyantaṃ sahasrāṃśuṃ pṛthā dīptaṃ dadarśa ha ||
na tatarpa ca rūpeṇa bhānoḥ saṃdhyāgatasya sā ||
tasyā dṛṣṭir abhūd divyā sāpaśyad divyadarśanam ||
āmuktakavacaṃ devaṃ kuṇḍalābhyāṃ vibhūṣitam ||
tasyāḥ kautūhalaṃ tv āsīn mantraṃ prati narādhipa ||
āhvānam akarot sātha tasya devasya bhāminī ||
prāṇān upaspṛśya tadā ājuhāva divākaram ||
ājagāma tato rājaṃs tvaramāṇo divākaraḥ ||
madhupiṅgo mahābāhuḥ kambugrīvo hasann iva ||
aṅgadī baddhamukuṭo diśaḥ prajvālayann iva ||
yogāt kṛtvā dvidhātmānam ājagāma tatāpa ca ||
ābabhāṣe tataḥ kuntīṃ sāmnā paramavalgunā ||
āgato 'smi vaśaṃ bhadre tava mantrabalātkṛtaḥ ||
kiṃ karomy avaśo rājñi brūhi kartā tad asmi te ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

वैशंपायन उवाच गते तस्मिन् द्विजश्रेष्ठे कस्मिंश् चित् कालपर्यये ॥ चिन्तयाम् आस सा कन्या मन्त्रग्रामबलाबलम् ॥ अयं वै कीदृशस् तेन मम दत्तो महात्मना ॥ मन्त्रग्रामो बलं तस्य ज्ञास्ये नातिचिराद् इव ॥ एवं संचिन्तयन्ती सा ददर्शर्तुं यदृच्छया ॥ व्रीडिता साभवद् बाला कन्याभावे रजस्वला ॥ अथोद्यन्तं सहस्रांशुं पृथा दीप्तं ददर्श ह ॥ न ततर्प च रूपेण भानोः संध्यागतस्य सा ॥ तस्या दृष्टिर् अभूद् दिव्या सापश्यद् दिव्यदर्शनम् ॥ आमुक्तकवचं देवं कुण्डलाभ्यां विभूषितम् ॥ तस्याः कौतूहलं त्व् आसीन् मन्त्रं प्रति नराधिप ॥ आह्वानम् अकरोत् साथ तस्य देवस्य भामिनी ॥ प्राणान् उपस्पृश्य तदा आजुहाव दिवाकरम् ॥ आजगाम ततो राजंस् त्वरमाणो दिवाकरः ॥ मधुपिङ्गो महाबाहुः कम्बुग्रीवो हसन्न् इव ॥ अङ्गदी बद्धमुकुटो दिशः प्रज्वालयन्न् इव ॥ योगात् कृत्वा द्विधात्मानम् आजगाम तताप च ॥ आबभाषे ततः कुन्तीं साम्ना परमवल्गुना ॥ आगतो ऽस्मि वशं भद्रे तव मन्त्रबलात्कृतः ॥ किं करोम्य् अवशो राज्ञि ब्रूहि कर्ता तद् अस्मि ते ॥vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca gate tasmin dvijaśreṣṭhe kasmiṃś cit kālaparyaye || cintayām āsa sā kanyā mantragrāmabalābalam || ayaṃ vai kīdṛśas tena mama datto mahātmanā || mantragrāmo balaṃ tasya jñāsye nāticirād iva || evaṃ saṃcintayantī sā dadarśartuṃ yadṛcchayā || vrīḍitā sābhavad bālā kanyābhāve rajasvalā || athodyantaṃ sahasrāṃśuṃ pṛthā dīptaṃ dadarśa ha || na tatarpa ca rūpeṇa bhānoḥ saṃdhyāgatasya sā || tasyā dṛṣṭir abhūd divyā sāpaśyad divyadarśanam || āmuktakavacaṃ devaṃ kuṇḍalābhyāṃ vibhūṣitam || tasyāḥ kautūhalaṃ tv āsīn mantraṃ prati narādhipa || āhvānam akarot sātha tasya devasya bhāminī || prāṇān upaspṛśya tadā ājuhāva divākaram || ājagāma tato rājaṃs tvaramāṇo divākaraḥ || madhupiṅgo mahābāhuḥ kambugrīvo hasann iva || aṅgadī baddhamukuṭo diśaḥ prajvālayann iva || yogāt kṛtvā dvidhātmānam ājagāma tatāpa ca || ābabhāṣe tataḥ kuntīṃ sāmnā paramavalgunā || āgato 'smi vaśaṃ bhadre tava mantrabalātkṛtaḥ || kiṃ karomy avaśo rājñi brūhi kartā tad asmi te ||After the departure of the best of brahmins, young Kunti, after some time, reflects on the strength and weakness of the group of mantras: whatever mantra the great one gave her, she will soon learn; having by chance seen the onset of her monthly time, the young maiden is embarrassed by her maidenly condition; then Pritha sees the thousand-rayed Surya rising, blazing in the evening light, and cannot be satisfied by his beauty; divine sight arises in her, and she sees the god clad in armor and adorned with earrings; out of curiosity about the mantra, having touched her breath, she invokes Divakara; the Sun comes quickly, honey-golden, mighty-armed, with a neck like a conch, as if smiling, wearing bracelets and a crown, illumining the directions; by the power of yoga, having divided himself in two, he comes and at the same time continues to warm the world, then speaks gently and most beautifully to Kunti: he has come, subdued by the power of her mantra, and asks what he should do.

Translation

After the best of brahmins departed, young Kunti, after some time, began to reflect on the strength and weakness of the group of mantras: 'Which mantra did this great soul give me? I shall soon learn its power.' By chance she noticed the onset of her monthly time and, being a maiden, felt embarrassed. Then Pritha saw the thousand-rayed Surya rising, blazing in the evening light, and could not have enough of his beauty. Divine sight arose in her, and she saw the god clad in armor and adorned with earrings. Out of curiosity about the mantra, she touched her breath and invoked Divakara. The Sun came quickly: honey-golden, mighty-armed, with a neck like a conch, as if smiling, wearing bracelets and a crown, illumining the directions. By the power of yoga he divided himself in two: he came to her while still continuing to warm the world. Then he spoke gently and beautifully to Kunti: 'I have come, fair one, subdued by the power of your mantra. What shall I do, queen? Speak, and I shall accomplish it for you.'

Commentary

Kunti tests the mantra out of curiosity, not yet grasping the weight of the invocation. Spiritual power demands maturity: a word addressed to a deity does not vanish like a game.

Version

47e54e6abbfb · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:33:40 PM UTC

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