Practise of Śvetaketu

 babhūvoddālako nāma maharṣiriti naḥ śrutam

śvetaketuriti khyātaḥ putrastasyābhavanmuniḥ

We have heard that there was a great Ṛṣi, named Uddālaka. He had a son, Śvataketu, who was also a Ṛṣi.

maryādeyaṁ kṛtā tena dharmyā vai śvetaketunā
kopātkamalapatrākṣi yadarthaṁ tannibodha me

O lotus eyed one! Present virtuous practice was established by that Śvetaketu in anger. I shall tell you why he did it.

śvetaketoḥ kila putrā samakṣaṁ mātaraṁ pituḥ
jagrāha brāhmaṇaḥ pāṇau gacchāva iti cābravīt

One day, in the time of yore, in the very presence of Śvetaketu ̍ s father, a Brāhmaṇa came and taking Śvetaketu ̍ s mother by hand, said: Let us go!

Having seen his mother taken away as if by force, son of Ṛṣi grew angry and became very much affected with sorrow.

kruddhaṁ taṁ tu dṛṣṭvā śvetaketumuvāca ha
mā tāta kopaṁ kārṣīstvameṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ

Seeing him angry, his father told Śvetahetu: O child! Do not be angry! This is an eternal usage.

anāvṛtā hi sarveṣāṁ varṇānāmaṅganā bhuvi
tathā gāvaḥ sthitāstāta sve sve varṇe tathā prajāḥ

Women of all orders on Earth are free. O son! Men, in this matter as regards their respective orders, act as kine.

ṛṣiputro ̍ tha taṁ śvetaketurna cakṣame
cakāra caiva maryādāmimāṁ strīpuṁsayorbhuvi

Son of Ṛṣi, Śvetaketu, disapproved of this usage and established following practice on Earth as regards men and women.

mānuṣeṣu mahāge na tvevānyeṣu jantuṣu
tadāprabhṛti maryādā shtiteyamiti naḥ śrutam

O greatly illustrious lady! We have heard that present practice among men and women dates from that day not among other animals.

ṣvetaketuruvāca
vyuccarantyāḥ patiṁ nāryā adyaprabhṛti pātakam
bhrūṇahatyāsamaṁ ghoraṁ bhaviṣyatyasukhāvaham

Śveta said: Wife, not adhering to her husband, will be sinful from this date. She will commit as great and painful sin as killing of an embryo.

bhāryāṁ tathā vyuccarataḥ kaumārabrahmacāriṇīm
pativratāmetadeva bhavitā pātakaṁ bhuvi

Men who will go to other women neglecting a chaste and loving wife who has from her maidenhood observed a vow of purity, will commit the same sin.

patyā niyuktā yā caiva patnī putrārthameva ca
na kariṣyati tasyāśca bhaviṣyati tadeva hi

Woman, who being commanded by her husband to raise an offspring, will refuse to do it, will commit also some sin.

iti tena purā bhīru maryādā sthāpitā balāt
uddālakasya putreṇa dharmyā vai śvetaketunā

Pāṇḍu said: O timid lady! It was thus established by force in olden days the present virtuous usage by Uddālaka ̍ s son Śvetakutu.

saudāsena ca rambhoru niyuktā putrajanmani
madayantī jagāmarṣi vasiṣṭhāmiti naḥ śrutam

O lady of tapering thighs, we have heard that Madayantī, being appointed by her husband Saudāsa, went to Ṛṣi Vasiṣṭha to raise up an offspring.

tasmāllebhe ca sā putramaśmakaṁ nāma bhāvinī
evaṁ kṛtavatī sāpi bhartuḥ priyacikīrṣayā

That lady obtained from him a son, named Aśmaka. She did this, moved by desire of doing good to her husband.

asmākamapi te janma viditaṁ kamalekṣaṇe
kṛṣṇadvaipāyanādbhīru kurūṇāṁ vaṁśavṛddhaye

O lotus eyed one! O timid girl! You know our birth, begotten by Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, in order to expand Kuru race.

ata etāni sarvāṇi kāraṇāni samīkṣya vai
mamaitadvacanaṁ dharmyaṁ kartumarhasyanindite

O faultless one! Seeing all these precedents, you should do my bidding which is not inconsistent with virtue.

ṛtāvṛtau rājaputri striyā bahrtā pativrate
nātivartavya ityevaṁ dharmaṁ dharmavido viduḥ
śeṣaṣvanyeṣu kāleṣu svātantrayaṁ strī kilārhati

O princess! O devoted wife! Men learned in the precepts of virtue, said that a wife in her season must seek her husband, though she may be free at other times.

dharmamevaṁ janāḥ santaḥ purāṇaṁ paricakṣate
bhartā bhāryāṁ rājaputri dharmyaṁ vādharmyameva vā
yad brūyāt tat tathā kāryamiti vedavido viduḥ

Wise have said that this was ancient practice, but O princess! Men learned in Vedas, have declared that whether the act be sinful or sinless, it is the duty of wife to do what her husband commands.

viśeṣataḥ putragṛdhnī hīnaḥ prajananāt svayam
yathāhamanavadyāṅgii putradarśanalālasaḥ
tathāraktāṅgulitalaḥ padmapatranibhaḥ śubhe
prasādārthaṁ mayā te ̍ yaṁ śirasyabhyudyato ̍ ñjaliḥ

O lady of faultless features! Especially I who am deprived of the power of procreation, having yet become desirous of seeing son, should more to be obeyed by you. O amiable girl! Joining my palms furnished with rosy fingers like lotus leaves, I place my hand on your head to propriate you.

manniyogāt sukeśānte dvijātestapasādhikāt̍
putrān guṇasamāyuktānutpādayitumarhasi
tvatkṛte ̍ haṁ puthuśroṇi gaccheyaṁ putriṇāṁ gatim

O lady of beautiful hair! You should raise accomplished sons at my command by the help of some Brāhmaṇas possessed of great ascetic merits. O lady of beautiful hips! By your doing this, I shall go to the way reserved for those who are blessed with sons.

vaiśampāyana uvāca
evamuktā tataḥ kuntī pāṇḍuṁ parapuraṁjayam
pratyuvāca varārohā bhartuḥ priyahite ratā

Vaiśampāyana said: Having been thus addressed by that subjugator of hostile cities, Pāṇḍu, beautiful Kuntī, ever engaged in doing good to her husband, replied thus:

pitṛveśmanyahaṁ bālā niyuktātithipūjane
ugraṁ paryacaraṁ tatra brāhamaṇaṁ saṁśitavratam
nigūḍhaniścayaṁ dharme yaṁ taṁ durvāsasaṁ viduḥ
tamahaṁ saṁśitātmānaṁ sarvayatnairatoṣayam

O lord! I was engaged in my girlhood at my father ̍ s home in attending upon guests. I attentively served Brāhmaṇas of rigid vows. I gratified with all attentions that Brāhmaṇa known as Durvāsā, who had all his passions under control and who was acquainted with all the mysteries of religion.

sa me ̍ bhicārasaṁyuktamācaṣṭa bhagavān varam
mantraṁ tvimaṁ ca me prādādabravīccaiva māmidam

Pleased with attention with which I waited upon him, that illustrious Brāhmaṇa gave me a boon in the form of a Mantra. He told me:

yaṁ yaṁ devaṁ tvametena mantreṇāvāhayiṣyasi
akāmo vā sakāmo vā vaśaṁ te samupaiṣyati

Any of celestials whom you will call by this Mantra, will be obedient to you, whether he likes it or not.

tasya tasya prasādāt te rājñi putro bhaviṣyati
ituktāhaṁ tadānena pitṛveśmani bhārata

O princess! By each of their favour, you shall have an offspring.
O descendant of Bharata race! This was told to me by him at my father ̍s house.

brāhmaṇasya vacastathyaṁ tasya kālo ̍ yamāgataḥ
anujñātā tvayā devamāhvayeyamahaṁ nṛpa
tena mantreṇa rājarṣe yathāsyānnau prajā hitā

O king! Words uttered by Brāhmaṇa can never be false. Time has come when they may yield fruits. Commanded by you, I can call celestials.

āvāhayāmi kaṁ devaṁ brūhi satyavatāṁ vara
tvatto ̍ nujñāpratīkṣāṁ māṁ viddhyasmin karmaṇi sthitām

By that Mantra to rise up good offspring. O king! O foremost of truthful men! Tell me which of celestials I shall call. Know, I wait your commands in this matter.

pāṇḍuruvāca
adyaiva tvaṁ varārohe prayatasva tathāvidhi
dharmamāvāhaya śubhe sa hi lokeṣu puṇyabhāk

Pāṇḍu said: O beautiful lady! O amiable one! Try to do it today in the proper form. Call Dharma, for he is most virtuous in the world.

adharmeṇa na no dharmaḥ saṁyujyati kathaṁcana
lokaścāyaṁ varārohe dharmo ̍ yamiti manyate
dhārmikaśca kurūṇāṁ sa bhaviṣyati na saṁśayaḥ
dharmeṇa cāpi dattasya nādharme raṁsyate manaḥ
tasmād dharmaṁ puraskṛtya niyatā tvaṁ śucismite
upacārābhicārābhyāṁ dharmamāvāhayasva vai

O beautiful lady! Dharma will ever be able to clean us from sin and people will also consider that we do what is never sinful. There is no doubt that son thus begotten will be virtuous among Kurus. Begotten by Dharma, his mind will never be sinful. Therefore, O lady of sweet smiles! Keep virtue before your eyes and observe all vows, call Dharma by the help of your solicitations and incantations.

vaiśampāyana uvāca
sā tathoktā tathetyuktvā tena bhartrā varāṅganā
abhivādyābhyanujñātā pradakṣiṇamavartata

Vaiśampāyana said: That best of women, Kuntī, having been thus addressed, said: Be it so! Then she went round him for 7 times and resolved to do his bidding.