An Index to the Names in the Mahabharata, with Short Explanations and a Concordance to the Bombay and Calcutta Editions and P. C. Roy's Translation c5.s7.261.3

c5.s7.261.3

Kuntī), the sister of Vasudeva and the daughter of the Vṛṣṇi Çūra and adopted by King Kuntibhoja, was ordered by Kuntibhoja to wait upon a brahman of fierce energy (III, 303, 304). After a year the brahman gave her a mantra (Atharvaçirasi çrutam), by which she might invoke the gods (III, 305). When she at the time of her seasons saw the sun's orbit she became possessed of celestial power of vision, and beheld Sūrya with his coat of mail and his ear-rings and invoked him. By way of yoga he divided himself into two, one of whom appeared before Kuntī. At first Kuntī was frightened (III, 306), but Sūrya reassured her, saying: “Thou shalt remain a virgin after having gratified me, and thy son shall have the ear-rings and the coat of mail, made of amṛta, that have been given to me by Aditi,” etc.; then he entered her by virtue of yoga (III, 307). This happened in the bright fortnight of the tenth month (çukle daçottare pakṣe). Except her nurse nobody else knew about the matter; when the child was born she consulted with her nurse and placed it in a box on the river Açvanadī, imploring protection from Varuṇa, Sūrya, A., V., R., S., V.-D., M., diçaḥ, digīçvarāḥ, I., etc.; from Açvanadī the basket floated to the river Carmanvatī, thence to the Yamunā, and so on to the Gaṅgā, to the town of Campā, in the country of the Aṅgas (III, 308), ruled by the sūta Adhiratha (the husband of Rādhā), who was childless.