Chapter 30

“Kunti said, ‘O holy one, thou art my father-in-law and therefore, mydeity of deities. Verily, thou art my god of gods. Hear my words oftruth. An ascetic named Durvasas, who is of the regenerate order and whois full of wrath, came to my father’s house for eleemosynary charity. Isucceeded in gratifying him by the purity of my external behaviour and ofmy mind, as also by refusing to notice the many wrongs he did. I did notgive way to wrath although there was much in his behaviour quite capableof exciting that passion. Served with care, the great ascetic becamehighly pleased with me and disposed to grant me a boon. ‘Thou must acceptthe boon I shall give,’ were his words to me. Fearing his curse, Ianswered him, saying,–‘So be it.’ The regenerate Rishi once more saidunto me,–‘O blessed damsel, O thou of beautiful face, thou wilt becomethe mother of Dharma. Those deities whom thou wilt summon will beobedient to thee.’ Having said those words, the regenerate one vanishedaway from my sight. I became filled with wonder. The mantra, however,which the Rishi gave has dwelt in my memory at all times. One day,sitting within my chamber I beheld the sun rising. Desiring to bring themaker of day before me, I recollected the words of the Rishi. Without anyconsciousness of the fault I committed, I summoned the deity from meregirlishness. The deity, however, of a thousand rays, (summoned by me)came to my presence. He divided himself in twain. With one portion he wasin the firmament, and with the other he stood on the Earth before me.With one he heated the worlds and with another he came to me. He told me,while I was trembling at his sight, these words,–‘Do thou ask a boon ofme.’ Bowing unto him with my head, I asked him to leave me. He repliedunto me, saying,–‘I cannot bear the idea of coming to thee fruitlessly.I shall consume thee as also that Brahmana who gave thee the Mantra as aboon.’ The Brahmana who had done no evil–I wished to protect fromSurya’s curse. I therefore, said–‘Let me have a son like thee, O god.’The deity of thousand rays then penetrated me with his energy andstupefied me completely. He then said unto me,–‘Thou wilt have a son,’and then went back to the firmament. I continued to live in the innerapartments and desirous of saying the honour of my sire, I cast into thewaters my infant son named Karna who thus came into the world secretly.Without doubt, through the grace of that god, I once more became avirgin, O regenerate one, even as the Rishi Durvasas had said unto me.Foolish that I am, although he knew me for his mother when he grew up, Iyet made no effort to acknowledge him. This burns me, O regenerate Rishi,as is well-known to thee. Whether it is sinful or not so, I have toldthee truth. It behoveth thee, O holy one, to gratify the craving I feelfor beholding that son of mine. O foremost of ascetics, let this kingalso, O sinless one, obtain the fruition today of that wish of his whichhe cherishes in his bosom and which has become known to thee.’ Thusaddressed by Kunti, Vyasa, that foremost of all persons, said unto her inreply,–‘Blessed be thou; all that thou hast said unto me will happen.(As regards the birth of Karna) no fault is ascribable to thee. Thou wertrestored to virginity. The deities are possessed of (Yoga) puissance.They are able to penetrate human bodies.[48] There are deities. Theybeget (offspring) by thought alone. By word, by sight, by touch, and bysexual union, also, they beget children. These are the five methods. Thoubelongest to the order of humanity. Thou hast no fault (in whathappened). Know this. O Kunti. Let the fever of thy heart be dispelled.For those that are mighty, everything is becoming. ‘For those that aremighty, everything is pure. For those that are mighty, everything ismeritorious. For those that are mighty, everything is their own.'”