महाभारतम् — ३.१२७

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।

कथंवीर्यः स राजाभूत्सोमको वदतां वर ।
कर्माण्यस्य प्रभावं च श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ॥

M N Dutt Yudhishthira said : O foremost of speakers, what was the prowess of the king, Somaka. I desire to hear an exact account of his achievements and prowess.

लोमश उवाच ।

३.१२७.२

युधिष्ठिरासीन्नृपतिः सोमको नाम धार्मिकः ।
तस्य भार्याशतं राजन्सदृशीनामभूत्तदा ॥

M N Dutt Lomasha said: O king, O Yudhishthira, there was a virtuous king, named Somaka. He had one hundred wives, all suitably matched to him.

३.१२७.३

स वै यत्नेन महता तासु पुत्रं महीपतिः ।
कंचिन्नासादयामास कालेन महता अपि ॥

M N Dutt Though a long period of time passed away and though he took great care, yet he could not succeed in getting a son.

३.१२७.४

कदाचित्तस्य वृद्धस्य यतमानस्य यत्नतः ।
जन्तुर्नाम सुतस्तस्मिन्स्त्रीशते समजायत ॥

M N Dutt One day when he had (already) grown old, he tried every means to have a son and (at last) a son was born to him by once of that one hundred wives. He was named Jantu.

३.१२७.५

तं जातं मातरः सर्वाः परिवार्य समासते ।
सततं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा कामभोगान्विशां पते ॥

M N Dutt O king, all those mothers sat round their son; and every one of them gave him such objects as might give him enjoyments and pleasure.

३.१२७.६

ततः पिपीलिका जन्तुं कदाचिददशत्स्फिजि ।
स दष्टो व्यनदद्राजंस्तेन दुःखेन बालकः ॥

M N Dutt One day an ant stung the boy at his hip and the boy screamed out on account of the pain caused by the sting.

३.१२७.७

ततस्ता मातरः सर्वाः प्राक्रोशन्भृशदुःखिताः ।
परिवार्य जन्तुं सहिताः स शब्दस्तुमुलोऽभवत् ॥

M N Dutt The mothers were greatly distressed to find the child stung by the ant; and they stood round him and began to cry as loudly as the boy.

३.१२७.८

तमार्तनादं सहसा शुश्राव स महीपतिः ।
अमात्यपरिषन्मध्ये उपविष्टः सहर्त्विजैः ॥

M N Dutt When he was seated with his ministers and his family priest that ruler of earth suddenly heard that great screaming (of the women).

३.१२७.९

ततः प्रस्थापयामास किमेतदिति पार्थिवः ।
तस्मै क्षत्ता यथावृत्तमाचचक्षे सुतं प्रति ॥

M N Dutt The king sent for information as to what it was about. And the royal usher then explained to him what had happened to his son.

३.१२७.१०

त्वरमाणः स चोत्थाय सोमकः सह मन्त्रिभिः ।
प्रविश्यान्तःपुरं पुत्रमाश्वासयदरिंदमः ॥

M N Dutt Somaka rose with his ministers and hastened towards the female apartments. O chastiser of foes, on going there, he consoled his son.

३.१२७.११

सान्त्वयित्वा तु तं पुत्रं निष्क्रम्यान्तःपुरान्नृपः ।
ऋत्विजैः सहितो राजन्सहामात्य उपाविशत् ॥

M N Dutt Having comforted his son and come out from the female apartments, the king sat down with his family priest and ministers.

सोमक उवाच ।

३.१२७.१२

धिगस्त्विहैकपुत्रत्वमपुत्रत्वं वरं भवेत् ।
नित्यातुरत्वाद्भूतानां शोक एवैकपुत्रता ॥

M N Dutt Somaka said: Fie on having one son! I would rather be a sonless man. To all beings, liable as they are to diseases, it is but a trouble to have only one son.

३.१२७.१३

इदं भार्याशतं ब्रह्मन्परीक्ष्योपचितं प्रभो ।
पुत्रार्थिना मया वोढं न चासां विद्यते प्रजा ॥

M N Dutt O Brahmanas, O lord, with the intention of getting sons, I married all these one hundred wives after carefully examining them whether they were suitable to me. But they have none.

३.१२७.१४

एकः कथंचिदुत्पन्नः पुत्रो जन्तुरयं मम ।
यतमानस्य सर्वासु किं नु दुःखमतः परम् ॥

M N Dutt Having tried every means and put forth great efforts they have (at last) given birth to this one single son, Jantu. What greater grief can there be than this!

३.१२७.१५

वयश्च समतीतं मे सभार्यस्य द्विजोत्तम ।
आसां प्राणाः समायत्ता मम चात्रैकपुत्रके ॥

M N Dutt O excellent Brahmana, I am grown old in years and so are my wives. This only one son is like the breadth of their nostrils; so is he to me.

३.१२७.१६

स्यान्नु कर्म तथा युक्तं येन पुत्रशतं भवेत् ।
महता लघुना वापि कर्मणा दुष्करेण वा ॥

M N Dutt Is there any such (religious) ceremony by celebrating which one may get one hundred sons? Tell me whether it is great or it is small, whether it is easy or it is difficult to perform.

ऋत्विगुवाच ।

३.१२७.१७

अस्ति वै तादृशं कर्म येन पुत्रशतं भवेत् ।
यदि शक्नोषि तत्कर्तुमथ वक्ष्यामि सोमक ॥

M N Dutt Ritvija said : There is a ceremony by which a man may get one hundred sons. O Somaka, if you are able to perform it, (then tell me); I shall explain it to you?

सोमक उवाच ।

३.१२७.१८

कार्यं वा यदि वाकार्यं येन पुत्रशतं भवेत् ।
कृतमेव हि तद्विद्धि भगवान्प्रब्रवीतु मे ॥

M N Dutt Somaka said: Whether it is a good or an evil deed, you may consider that the ceremony by which one hundred sons may be born as already performed, O exalted one explain it to me.

ऋत्विगुवाच ।

३.१२७.१९

यजस्व जन्तुना राजंस्त्वं मया वितते क्रतौ ।
ततः पुत्रशतं श्रीमद्भविष्यत्यचिरेण ते ॥

M N Dutt Ritvija said : O king, I shall perform this sacrifice, but you must sacrifice in it your son Jantu. Then one hundred handsome sons will be born to you.

३.१२७.२०

वपायां हूयमानायां धूममाघ्राय मातरः ।
ततस्ताः सुमहावीर्याञ्जनयिष्यन्ति ते सुतान् ॥

M N Dutt When Jantu's fat will be put into the fire as an offering to the celestials, the mothers your wives will have to take a smell of that smoke. ! And thus they would give birth to a number of courageous and strong sons. Jantu also will again be born in the womb of his (former) mother. On this back there will appear a mark of gold.

३.१२७.२१

तस्यामेव तु ते जन्तुर्भविता पुनरात्मजः ।
उत्तरे चास्य सौवर्णं लक्ष्म पार्श्वे भविष्यति ॥

M N Dutt When Jantu's fat will be put into the fire as an offering to the celestials, the mothers your wives will have to take a smell of that smoke. ! And thus they would give birth to a number of courageous and strong sons. Jantu also will again be born in the womb of his (former) mother. On this back there will appear a mark of gold.

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श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता

शिशुपालवधम् माघः

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