Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 46: Diti’s vow to kill Indra
Text 1.46.7
एवमुक्त्वा महातेजाः पाणिना स ममार्ज ताम्।
समालभ्य ततः स्वस्तीत्युक्त्वा स तपसे ययौ॥
evam uktvā mahā-tejāḥ pāṇinā sa mamārja tām
samālabhya tataḥ svastīty uktvā sa tapase yayau
evam uktvā = saying this; mahā-tejāḥ = the sage of great prowess; pāṇinā = with his hand; saḥ mamārja tām = stroked her; samālabhya tataḥ = and then touched her belly; svasti iti uktvā = he told her, may there be auspiciousness unto you, and; saḥ tapase yayau = departed for performing austerities.
Saying this, the sage of great prowess stroked her with his hand and then touched her belly. He told her, “May there be auspiciousness unto you” and departed for performing austerities.
Stroking with the hand is a way of consoling a person. Kaśyapa blessed Diti that her child birth would be auspicious.