Kadrū and Vinatā receive boons from their husband Kaśyapa Ṛṣi

 śaunaka uvāca

saute tvaṁ kathayasvemāṁ vistareṇa kathāṁ punaḥ

āstīkasya kaveḥ sādhoḥ śuśrūṣā paramā hi naḥ

O Sauti, once more relate to us in detail history of learned and virtuous Āstīka. Great is our curiosity to hear it.

madhuraṁ kathyate saumya ślakṣṇākṣarapadaṁ tvayā

prīyāmahe bhṛśaṁ tāta pitevedaṁ prabhāṣase

O gentle one, you speak very sweetly with proper accent and emphasis. we are very much pleased with your speech. You speak like your late father.

asmacchuśrūṣaṇe nityaṁ pitā hi niratastava

ācaṣṭaitadyathākhyānaṁ pitā te tvaṁ tathā vada

Your father was always ready to please us. Tell us, therefore, the story that your father had related.

sautiruvāca

āyuṣmannidamākhyānamāstīkaṁ kathayāmi te

yathāśrutaṁ kathayataḥ sakāśādvai piturmayā

Sauti said: O long lived ones, I shall narrate the story of Āstīka as I heard it from my father.

purā devayuge brahmanprajāpatisute śubhe

āstāṁ bhaginyau rūpeṇa samupetedbhute ̍nagha

O Brāhmaṇa, in the golden age Prajāpati had two fair daughters. O sinless one, two sisters were endued with great beauty.

te bhārye kaśyapasyāstāṁ kadrūśca vinatā ca ha

prādāttābhyāṁ varaṁ prītaḥ prajāpatisamaḥ patiḥ

They were named Kadrū and Vinatā and they were wives of Kaśyapa. Their husband, who like Prajāpati, having been pleased with them, gave each a boon.

kaśyapo dharmapatnībhyāṁ mudā paramayā yutaḥ

varātisargaṁ śrutvaivaṁ kaśyapāduttamaṁ ca te

Kaśyapa derived much happiness from his wives. Hearing that their husband Kaśyapa was willing to bestow on them boons.

haṣārdapratimāṁ prītiṁ prāpatuḥsma varastriyau

vavre kadrūḥ sutānnāgānsahasraṁ tulyavarcasaḥ

The most beautiful damsels felt a transport of joy. Kadrū wished to have 1,000 snakes as her sons, all of equal splendour.

dvau putrau vinatā vavre kadrūputrādhikau bale

tejasā vapuṣā caiva vikrameṇādhikau ca tau

Vinatā asked for two sons, more in strength, energy, size and prowess than sons of Kadrū.

tasyao bhartā varaṁ prādādatyarthaṁ putramīpsitam

evamastviti taṁ cāha kaśyapaṁ vinatā tadā

On her husband bestowed the boon of desired sons and Vinatā said: Be it so!

yathāvatprārthitaṁ labdhvā varaṁ tuṣṭā ̍bhavattadā

kṛtakṛtyā tu vinatā labdhvā vīryādhikau sutau

Vinatā, having got the boon as she requested, was much pleased and having obtained two greatly powerful sons, she regarded herself gratified.

kadrūśca labdhvā putrāṇāṁ sahasraṁ tulyavarcasām

dhāryau prayatnato garbhāvityuktvā sa mahātapāḥ

te bhārye varasaṁtuṣṭe kaśyapo vanaśāviṣat

Kadrū also obtained 1,000 sons, all of equal splendour. 

Bear the embryos carefully - So saying great ascetic Kaśyapa went to the forest, leaving his two wives much gratified with his boons.

sautiruvāca

kālena mahatā kadrūraṇḍānāṁ daśatīrdaśa

janayāmāsa viprendra dve cāṇḍe vinatā tadā

Sauti said: O best of Brāhmaṇas, after a long time Kadrū gave birth to 1,000 and Vinatā 2 eggs.

tayoraṇḍāni nidadhuḥ prahṛṣṭāḥ paricārikāḥ

sopasvedeṣu bhāṇḍeṣu pañcavarṣatāni ca

Their maid servants kept them separately in warm vessels and thus 500 years passed away.

tataḥ pañcaśate kāle kadrūputrā viniḥsṛtāḥ

aṇḍābhyāṁ vinatāyāstu mithunaṁ na oyadṛśyata

After 500 years, sons of Kadrū came out of eggs, but Vinatā ̍s eggs did not produce anything.

tataḥ putrārthinī devī vrīḍitā ca tapasvinī

aṇḍaṁ bibheda vinatā tatra putramapaśyata

Thereupon ascetic lady desiring sons, Vinatā, feeling shame, broke open one of the eggs and saw her offspring,

adhyardhakākāyasaṁpannamitareṇāprakśatā

sa putraḥ krodhasaṁrabdhaḥ śaśāpaināmiti śrutiḥ

As an embriyo with the upper part developed, but lower part undeveloped. Thereupon child grew angry and cursed its mother saying:

yo ̍hamevaṁ kṛto mātastvayā lobhaparītayā

śarīreṇāsamagreṇa tasmāddāsī bhaviṣyasi

O mother, as you have prematurely broken this egg and did not allow my body to be fully developed, being jealous of Kadrū, you will have to serve as the slave of that very Kadrū.

pañcavarṣaśatānyasyā yayā vispardhase saha

eṣa ca tvāṁ suto mātardāsītvānmocayiṣyati

yadyenamapi mātastvaṁ māmivāṇḍabibhedanāt

na kariṣyasyanaṅgaṁ vā vyaṅgaṁ vāpi tapasvinam

O mother, if you wait with patience 500 years and do not destroy the other egg, illustrious child within it will deliver you from your slavery.

pratipālayitavyaste janmakālo ̍sya dhīrayā

viśiṣṭaṁ balamīpsantyā pañcavarṣatātparaḥ

O mother, if you are desirous of having your son strong, take tender care of the egg for 500 years.

evaṁ śaptvā tataḥ putro vinatāmantarikṣagaḥ

aruṇo dṛśyate brahmanprabhātasamaye yadā

ādityarathamadhyāste sārathyaṁ samakalpayat

garuḍo ̍pi yathākālaṁ jajñe pannagabhojanaḥ

Thus cursing his mother Vinatā, child rose to the sky. O Brāhmaṇa, Aruṇa became charioteer of the sun and he is to be seen in the hour of the morning. At the stipulated time was also born the snake eater Garuḍa.

sa jātamātro vinatāṁ parityajya khamāviśat

ādāsyannātmano bhojyamannaṁ vihitamasya yat

vidhātrā bhṛguśārdūla kṣudhitaḥ patageśvaraḥ

As soon as he was born, he left his mother and king of birds, being hungry, mounted on his wings to seek for the food assigned to him by the great Ordainer.