Princess Pritha, as a young mother, feels compelled by circumstance and destiny to abandon her newborn child. She is filled with fear for his future life.
With a heavy heart she appeals to the gods for his safety and tearfully blesses him as she sets him afloat down the river in a basket.
(Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Book 3: Vana Parva, translation by K.M. Ganguli) Section CCCVI:
| samutsṛjantī mañjūṣām aśvanadyās tadā jale uvāca rudatī kuntī yāni vākyāni tac chṛṇu |
Do thou listen to the words Kunti weepingly uttered, while consigning the box to the waters of the river Aswa |
| svasti te ‘stv āntarikṣebhyaḥ pārthivebhyaś ca putraka divyebhyaś caiva bhūtebhyas tathā toyacarāś ca ye |
O child, may good betide thee at the hands of all that inhabit the land, the water, the sky, and the celestial regions. |
| śivās te santu panthāno mā ca te paripanthinaḥ āgamāś ca tathā putra bhavantv adroha cetasaḥ |
May all thy paths be auspicious! May no one obstruct thy way! And, O son, may all that come across thee have their hearts divested of hostility towards thee: |
| pitā tvāṃ pātu sarvatra tapanas tapatāṃ varaḥ yena datto ‘si me putra divyena vidhinā kila |
And may, O son, that best of those that impart heat, viz., Surya, thy father, and from whom I have obtained thee as ordained by Destiny, protect thee everywhere! |
INEVITABLE TIME 