Janamejaya said: -
1. O Brahmana, you should relate to me the account of the birth of Kripa. How did he spring from a clump of health? Whence did he obtain his weapons?
Vaishampayana said: -
2. O great king, the great Rishi Gotama had a son, named Saradwata. This son of Gautama was born with arrows.
3. O chastiser of foes, he had not as much aptitude for the study of the Vedas, as he had for the study of the science of weapons.
4. As Brahmacharis acquire knowledge by austerities, so he acquired all his weapons by austerities.
5. That son of Gotama frightened the king of celestial by his aptitude for the science of weapons and austerities.
6. O descendant of Kuru, the king of the celestial summoned a celestial maiden named Janapadi and told her, “Destroy the penances (of Saradwata).
7. She went to the charming hermitage of Saradwata; and that damsel began there to tempt the son of Gautama (sitting) with bows and arrows.
8. Seeing that Apsara of matchless beauty on earth clad in a single cloth (roaming) alone in that wood, Gautama’s eyes danced in delight.
9. Seeing her, his body shook all over with emotion and his bow and arrows slipped from his hands and fell on the ground.
10. But he was possessed of ascetic fortitude and strength of soul. The Rishi mastered patience to withstand the temptation.
11. But O king, his sudden mental agitation caused an unconscious emission of his vital fluid.
12. Leaving his bow and deer skin, the Rishi escaped from the Apsara and left the hermitage. His vital fluid fell upon a clump of heath.
13. And having fallen on it, it was divided into two parts. Whence sprang two children that were twins.
14. A soldier in attendance upon the king Santanu, wandering in the forest in hunting, saw them.
15. Seeing the bow, arrows and the deer skin, he thought they might be the sons of a Brahmana proficient in the science of arms.
16. He took up those children along with the bow and arrows and showed the king what he had found. The king was filled with pity to see the twins.
17-18. He took them home saying, “Let them be my children.”
The best of men, bringing that twins Gautamas home, performed the usual rites and they (too) began to grow up and Gautama also, leaving (his old hermitage), studied the science of weapons.
19. That king gave them the name of Kripa and Kripi, because they were reared up by him out of kindness.
20. Gautama came to know through his spiritual sight where they (his son and daughter) were. He came there and represented everything about his lineage.
21. He taught him (Kripa) the four branches of the science of arms, various other branches of science, including all their mysteries and details.
22-23. He (Kripa) soon became a great professor (of the science of arms) and the great car warriors, the sons of Dhritarastra, the Pandavas, the Yadavas and the Vrishni and many other princes came to him and received from him lessons in the science of arms.
Thus ends the hundred and thirtieth chapter, the birth of Kripa, in the Sambhava of the Adi Parva.
Vaishampayana said: -
1. Being desirous of giving his grandsons a superior education, Bhisma was in search of a preceptor, who was endued with energy and who was well-skilled in the science of arms.
2-4. O best of the Bharata race, deciding that none who was not possessed of great intelligence, who was not illustrious, who was not a perfect master of the science of arms, who was not as powerful as the celestial, shall be the preceptor of the Kurus, the son of Ganga (Bhisma), placed the Pandavas and the Kurus under the tuition of the son of Bharadvaja, the wise Drona, learned in all the Vedas. Having been honoured according to the proper form by the illustrious Bhisma.
5. That foremost of all men skilled in arms, that illustrious man (Drona) was pleased with the reception given to him by great Bhisma and accepted them as his pupils.
6. Drona taught them the science of arms in all its branches. 0 king, the immeasurably powerful Pandavas and the Kurus became with in a very short time experts in the use of all kinds of weapons.
Janamejaya said: -
7. O Brahmana, how was Drona bom? How and whence did he acquire his arms? How and why he came to the Kurus? Whose son was that powerful man?
8. How was born his son Ashvathama, the foremost of all skilled in arms? I wish to hear all this. Narrate them in detail.
Vaishampayana said: -
9. There lived at the source of the Ganges a great and high-souled Rishi who was known as Bharadvaja and he was always observing rigid vows.
10. In the time of yore, Rishi Bharadvaja one day, intending to perform Agnihotra, went many other great Rishis to the Ganges to perform ablutions.
11. The Rishi was Ghritachi herself, the Apsara, young and beautiful, proud and voluptuous, rising from the water.
12. As she rose, her cloth became loose and disordered. Seeing her cloth disordered, the Rishi became full of desire.
13. The Mind of the wise Bharadwaja was attracted to her and his vital fluid was dropped. But he held it in a Drona (a vessel).
14. Thereupon, the wise Drona was born in that vessel. He studied all the Vedas and Vedangas.
15. The foremost of all wielders of arms, the greatly powerful Bharadvaja bestowed on the illustrious Agnivisha the weapon, called Agneya.
16. O best of the Bharata race, the Rishi, born of fire, gave that great fire, weapon to the son of Bharadvaja (Drona).
17. Bharadvaja had a friend, named Prishata who was a king. He had a son, born to him, named Drupada.
18. That best of Kshatryas, that prince (Drupada) went very day to his (Bharadvaja’s) hermitage and played and studied with Drona.
19. O king, when Prishata died, this mighty- armed Drupada became the king of the Northern Panchalas.
20. The illustrious Bharadvaja also (at this time) ascended heaven; thereupon, Drona continued to dwell (in the hermitage) engaged in ascetic austerities.
21-22. Being well-versed in the Vedas and Vedangas and having burnt all his sins by asceticism, the greatly illustrious Drona, obedient to the injunctions of his father and moved by the desire of offspring, married Kripi, the daughter of Sharadvana, ever engaged in Agnihotra, in piety and in penances.
23. The daughter of Gotama obtained a son, named Ashvathama; as soon as he was bom, he neighed like the horse Uchaisrava.
24. Hearing this, an invisible being in the skies said, “As the voice of this child was like that of a horse and as it has been heard over a great distance.
25. He will be known by the name of Ashvathama, (the horse voiced). The son of Bharadvaja was exceedingly glad by obtaining the son.
26-27. He continued to live there devoting himself to the study of the science of arms. He heard of that slayer of foes, that high-souled son of Jamadagni, that Brahmana, who was the foremost of all wielders of arms and who was versed in all kinds of knowledge. O king, he (Jamadagni) had expressed his desire of giving away all his wealth to the Brahmanas.
28. Having heard of Parashurama’s knowledge of arms and of his celestial weapons and of his morality, he (Drona) set his heart upon them.
29. Thereupon, the mighty-armed and greatly ascetic (Drona), accompanied by his disciples who were all devoted to vows and asceticism, started for the Mohendra mountain.
30. On arriving at the Mohendra (mountain) the son of Bharadvaja, the great ascetic, saw the son of Bhrigu, who was self-controlled, who was of great patience and who was the exterminator of his foes.
31. Then approaching with his disciples to the descendant of Bhrigu, Drona told him his name and that he was born in the race of Angirasha.
32-33. Touching the ground with his head, he worshipped his (Parashurama’s) feet. Seeing that the illustrious son of Jamadagni determined upon retiring into the forest after giving away all his wealth, the son of Bharadvaja (Drona) said, “I am born of Bharadvaja, but I am not born in any woman’s womb.
34. Know me to be an excellent Brahmana by name Drona. I have come to you with the desire of obtaining your wealth.” The destroyer of all the Kshatriyas, that high-souled (Parashurama) thus replied to him.
35-36. “O best of the twice bom, you are welcome. Tell me what you desire.” Having been thus addressed by (Parashu) Rama, the son of Bharadvaja (Drona) said to that foremost of all smiters, Rama, who was desirous of giving away all his wealth, “O (Rishi) of multifarious vows, I ask your eternal wealth.”
Rama said: -
37. O ascetic, whatever gold and other wealth I had, I have already given them away to the Brahmanas.
38. This lady earth, bounded by the sea and adorned with the garlands of towns and cities, I have given away to Kashyapa.
39. I have now left only my body and my valuable and various weapons and arms.
40. I am prepared to give you either my body or my weapons O Drona, tell me without delay what you like to have, I shall give it to you.
Drona said: -
41. O descendant of Vrigu, you should give me all your arms and weapons, together with the mysterious knowledge of hurling and recalling them.
Vaishampayana said: -
42. Saying “Be it so,” the descendant of Bhrigu gave away all his weapons to him (Drona) with the whole science of arms with its rules and regulations.
43. That excellent Brahmana (Drona) after receiving all of them and considering himself amply rewarded, went to (the country of) his friend Drupada in a delight-ful heart.
Thus ends the hundred and thirty first chapter, the coloquy of Drona and Bhargava, in the Sambhava of the Adi Parva.