Shloka 1
Amṛta-Pāna, Rāhu’s Detection, and the Sudarśana Intervention (अमृतपान-राहुप्रकाशन-सुदर्शनप्रयोगः)
उग्रश्रवाजी कहते हैं--तपोधन! इसी समय कद्रू और विनता दोनों बहनें एक साथ ही घूमनेके लिये निकलीं। उस समय उन्होंने उच्चै:श्रवा नामक घोड़ेको निकटसे जाते देखा। वह परम उत्तम अश्वरत्न अमृतके लिये समुद्रका मन्थन करते समय प्रकट हुआ था। उसमें अमोघ बल था। वह संसारके समस्त अअभ्रोंमें श्रेष्ठ, उत्तम गुणोंसे युक्त, सुन्दर, अजर, दिव्य एवं सम्पूर्ण शुभ लक्षणोंसे संयुक्त था। उसके अंग बड़े हृष्ट-पुष्ट थे। सम्पूर्ण देवताओंने उसकी भूरि-भूरि प्रशंसा की थी
śaunaka uvāca—tapodhana! asminn eva kāle kadrūś ca vinatā ca ubhe bhaginī ekasārdhaṃ vihārārthaṃ niryayatuḥ. tābhyāṃ ca samīpataḥ gacchantaṃ uccaiḥśravā-nāma aśvaṃ dadṛśatuḥ. sa paramottamaṃ aśvaratnam amṛtārthaṃ samudramanthane prādurbhūtam. tasminn amoghaṃ balaṃ āsīt. sa sarvāśvānāṃ loke śreṣṭhaḥ, uttamaguṇopetaḥ, sundaraḥ, ajaraḥ, divyaḥ, sarvaśubhalakṣaṇasaṃyuktaś ca. tasya aṅgāni hṛṣṭapuṣṭāni āsan. sarvair devaiḥ sa bahuśaḥ praśaṃsitaḥ.
Ugraśravā disse: “Ó asceta rico em austeridades! Nesse mesmo momento, as duas irmãs Kadrū e Vinatā saíram juntas para passear. Então viram, passando bem perto, o cavalo chamado Uccaiḥśravas — a suprema joia entre os cavalos, que surgira quando o oceano foi revolvido em busca do amṛta. Sua força era infalível. Era o melhor de todos os cavalos do mundo: dotado de excelentes qualidades, belo, sem velhice, divino e marcado por todos os sinais auspiciosos. Seus membros eram firmes e bem formados, e todos os deuses o haviam louvado repetidas vezes.”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how extraordinary beings and objects are recognized by their qualities and auspicious marks, and how divine praise follows true excellence. It also sets up the ethical tension that will arise from desire and rivalry when such a prized marvel is seen.
Kadrū and Vinatā go out together and see the celestial horse Uccaiḥśravas passing nearby. The narrator describes its divine origin from the ocean-churning and its unmatched, auspicious excellence, praised by the gods—preparing the ground for the sisters’ ensuing dispute.