Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Volume 1).pdf/176

162 And because that here of great fame bad taken off bis natural armour, therefore was he-the first son of Pritha--called Karna. And, O best of kings, the hero began to grow up in the Sula caste. And, o king, know thou that Karna--the first of all exalted men--the foremost of all wielders of weapons--the slayer of foes—and the best portion of the maker of day -was the friend and counsellor of Duryyodhana. And he, called Vasudeva, endued with great valour, was among men a portion of him called Narayana--the god of gods-eternal. And Valadeva of exceeding strength was a portion of the Naga Sesha. And, O monarch, know that Pradyumna of great energy was Sanatkumara. And in this way the portion of various other dwellers in heaven became exalted men in the race of Vasudeva, increasing the glory thereof. And, O king, the por. tions of the tribe of Apsaras which I have mentioned already, also became incarnate on Earth according to Indra's commands. And sixteen thousand portions of those goddesses became, o king, in this world of men, the wives of Vasudeva. And a portion of Sri herself became incarnate on earth, for the gratification of Narayana, in the line of Bhishmaka. And she was by name the chaste Rukmini. And the faultless Draupadi, slender-waisted like the wasp, was born of a portion of Sachi (the queen of the celestials), in the line of Drupada. And she was neither low nor tall in stature. And she was of the fragrance of the blue lotus, of eyes large as lotus-petals, of thighs fair and round, of dense masses of black curly hair. And endued with every auspicious feature and of complexion like that of the emerald, she became the charmer of the hearts of five foremost of men. And the two goddesses Siddhi and Dhriti became the mothers of those five, and were called Kunti and Madri. And she who was Mati became the daughter (Gandhari) of Suvala."

"Thus, O king, have I recited to thee all about the incarnation, according to their respective portions, of the gods, the Asuras, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras, and of the Rakshasas. They who were born on Earth as monarchs invincible in battle, those high-souled ones who were born in the wide extended line of the Yadus, they who were born as mighty monarchs in other lines, they who were born as Brahmanas and Kshattriyas and Vaisyas, have all been recited by me duly. And this account of the incarnation (of superior beings according to their respective portions) capable of bestowing wealth, fame, offspring, long life, and success, should always be listened to in a proper frame of mind. And having listened to this account of incarnation, according to their portions, of gods, Gandharvas, and Rakshasas, the hearer becoming acquainted with the creation, preservation, and destruction of the universe and acquiring wisdom, is never cast down even under the most engrossing sorrows.

So ends the sixty-seventh section in the Sambhava Parya of the Adil Parva.