Shloka 22
Adhyāya 227: Duryodhana’s Deliberation and the Ghoṣa-yātrā Pretext
Dvaita-vana
तमप्रतिबलं दृष्टवा विषण्णवदनास्तु ता:,परंतु स्कन्दका अप्रतिम बल देखकर उनके मुखपर उदासी छा गयी। वे सोचने लगीं --“इस वीरको पराजित करना असम्भव है।' ऐसा निश्चय होनेपर वे उन्हींकी शरणमें गयीं और बोलीं--“महाबली कुमार! तुम हमारे पुत्र हो जाओ, हमें माता मान लो
tam apratibalaṃ dṛṣṭvā viṣaṇṇavadanās tu tāḥ | parantu skandakaṃ apratima-balaṃ dṛṣṭvā mukheṣv udāsīnatā samapadyata | te cintayām āsuḥ—“asya vīrasya parājayo ’sambhavaḥ” iti | evaṃ niścitya tāḥ tasyaiva śaraṇaṃ jagmuḥ, ūcuś ca—“mahābali kumāra! tvaṃ asmākaṃ putro bhava; asmān mātṝn manyasva” iti |
Mārkaṇḍeya said: Seeing him as one whom they could not withstand, the women’s faces fell into dejection. When they beheld Skandaka, whose strength was incomparable, they reflected, “It is impossible to defeat this hero.” Having come to that decision, they sought refuge in him and said, “O mighty prince, become our son; accept us as your mothers.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच