Mahabharata, Book 1, Section CCXIII: Rajya-labha Parvaआदिपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 1.213.

213Sanskrit adhyāya 1.213 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

द्रुपद उवाच।
ब्रूहि तत्कारणं येन ब्रह्मन्नालायनी शुभा।
जाता ममाध्वरे कृष्मा सर्ववेदविदां वर।।
व्यास उवाच।
शृणु राजन्यथा ह्यस्या दत्तो रुद्रेण वै वरः।
यदर्थं चैव संभूता तव गेहे यशस्विनी।।
हन्त त कथयिष्यामि कृष्मायाः पौर्वदेहिकम्।
इन्द्रसेनेति विख्याता पुरा नालायनी शुभा।।
मौद्गल्यस्य पतिमासाद्य चचार विगतज्वरा।
मौद्गल्यस्य महर्षेश्च रममाणस्य वै तया।।
संवत्सरगणा राजन्व्यतीयुः क्षणवत्तदा।
ततः कदाचिद्धर्मात्मा तृप्तः कामैर्व्यरज्यत।।
अन्विच्छन्परमं धर्मं ब्रह्मयोगपरोऽभवत्।
उत्ससर्ज स तां विप्रः सा तदा चापतद्भुवि।
मौद्गल्यो राजशार्दूल तपोभिर्भावितः सदा।।
नालायन्युवाच।
प्रसीद भगवन्मह्यं न मामुत्स्रष्टुमर्हसि।
अवितृप्तास्मि ब्रह्मर्षे कामानां कामसेवनात्।।
मौद्गल्य उवाच।
यस्मात्त्वं मामनिःशङ्का ह्यवक्तव्यं भाषसे।
आचरन्ती तपोविघ्नं तस्माच्छृणु वचो मम।।
भविष्यसि नृलोके त्वं राजपुत्री यशस्वि।
पाञ्चालराजस्य सुता द्रुपदस्य महात्मनः।।
भवितारस्तत्र तव पतयः पञ्च विप्लुताः।
तैः सार्धं मधुराकारैश्चिरं रतिमवाप्स्यसि।।
वैशंपायन उवाच।
सैवं शप्ता तु विमना वनं प्रागाद्यशस्विनी।
भोगैरतृप्ता देवेशं तपसाऽऽराधयत्तदा।।
निराशीर्मारुताहारा निराहारा तथैव च।
अनुवर्तमाना त्वादित्यं तथा पञ्चतपाभवत्।।
तीव्रेण तपसा तस्यास्तुष्टः पशुपतिः स्वयम्।
वचं प्रादात्तदा रुद्रः सर्वलोकेश्वरः प्रभुः।।
भविष्यति परं जन्म भविष्यति वराङ्गना।
भविष्यन्ति परं भद्रे पतयः पञ्च विश्रुताः।।
महेन्द्रवपुषः सर्वे महेन्द्रसमविक्रमाः।
तत्रस्था च महत्कर्म सुराणां त्वं करिष्यसि।।
स्त्र्युवाच।
एकः खलु मया भर्ता वृतः पञ्च त्विमे कथम्।
एको भवति नैकस्या बहवस्तद्ब्रवीहि मे।।
महेश्वर उवाच।
पञ्चकृत्वस्त्वया चोक्तः पतिं देहीत्यहं पुनः।
पञ्चते पतयो भद्रे भविष्यन्ति सुखावहाः।।
स्त्र्युवाच।
धर्म एकः पतिः स्त्रीणां पूर्वमे प्रकल्पितः।
बहुपत्नीकता पुंसो धर्मश्च बहुभिः कृतः।।
स्त्रीधर्मः पूर्वमेवायं निर्मितो मुनिभिः सदा।
सहधर्मचरी भर्तुरेका एकस्य चोच्यते।।
एको हि भर्ता नारीणां कौमार इति लौकिकः।
आपत्सु च नियोगेन भर्तुर्नार्याः परः स्मृतः।।
गच्छेत न तृतीयं तु तस्या निष्कृतिरुच्यते।
चतुर्थे पतिता नारी पञ्चमे वर्धकी भवेत्।।
एवं गते धर्मपथे न वृणे बहुपुंस्कताम्।
अलोकाचरितात्त्समात्कथं मुच्येय सङ्करात्।।
महेश्वर उवाच।
अनावृताः पुरा नार्यो ह्यासञ्शुध्यन्ति चार्तवे।
सकृदुक्तं त्वया नैतन्नाधर्मस्ते भविष्यति।।
स्त्र्युवाच।
यदि मे पतयः पञ्च रतिमिच्छामि तैर्मिथः।
कौमारं च भवेत्सर्वैः संगमे संगमे च मे।।
पतिशुश्रूषया चैव सिद्धिः प्राप्ता मया पुरा।
भोगेच्छा च मया प्राप्ता स च भोगश्च मे भवेत्।।
रुद्र उवाच।
रतिश्च भद्रे सिद्धिश्च न भजेते परस्परम्।
भोगानाप्स्यसि सिद्धिं च योगेन च महत्त्वताम्।।
अन्यदेहान्तरे चैव रूपभाग्यगुणान्विता।
पञ्चभिः प्राप्य कौमारं महाभागा भविष्यसि।।
गच्छ गङ्गाजलस्था च नरं पश्यसि यं शुभे।
तमानय ममाभ्याशं सुरराजं शुचिस्मिते।।
इत्युक्ता विश्वरूपेण रुद्रं कृत्वा प्रदक्षिणम्।
जगाम गङ्गामुद्दिश्य पुण्यां त्रिपथगां नदीम्।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आदिपर्वणि
वैवाहिकपर्वणि त्रयोदशाधिकद्विशततमोऽध्यायः।। 213 ।।

English Ganguli

“Narada continued, ‘Then the celestial Rishis, the Siddhas, and the high-souled Rishis possessing the attributes of tranquillity and self-restraint, beholding that act of universal slaughter, were afflicted with great grief. With passions and senses and souls under complete control, they then went to the abode of the Grandsire, moved by compassion for the universe. Arrived there, they beheld the Grandsire seated with gods, Siddhas, and Brahmarshis around him. There were present that God of gods, viz., Mahadeva, and Agni, accompanied by Vayu, and Soma and Surya and Sakra, and Rishis devoted to the contemplation of Brahma, and the Vaikhanasas, the Valakhilyas, the Vanaprasthas, the Marichipas, the Ajas, the Avimudas, and other ascetics of great energy. All those Rishis were sitting with the Grandsire, when the celestial and other Rishis, approaching Brahman with sorrowful hearts, represented unto him all the acts of Sunda and Upasunda. And they told the Grandsire in detail everything that the Asura brothers had done, and how they had done it, and in what order. Then all the celestials and the great Rishis pressed the matter before the Grandsire. The Grandsire, hearing everything they said, reflected for a moment and settled in his mind what he should do. Resolving to compass the destruction of the Asura brothers, he summoned Viswakarman (the celestial architect). Seeing Viswakarman before him, the Grandsire possessed of supreme ascetic merit commanded him, saying, ‘Create thou a damsel capable of captivating all hearts.’ Bowing down unto the Grandsire and receiving his command with reverence, the great artificer of the universe created a celestial maiden with careful attention. Viswakrit first collected all handsome features upon the body of the damsel he created. Indeed, the celestial maiden that he created was almost a mass of gems. And created with great care by Viswakarman, the damsel, in beauty, became unrivalled among the women of the three worlds. There was not even a minute part of her body which by its wealth of beauty could not attract the gaze of beholders. And like unto the embodied Sri herself, that damsel of extraordinary beauty captivated the eyes and hearts of every creature. And because she had been created with portions of every gem taken in minute measures, the Grandsire bestowed upon her the name of Tilottama. And as soon as he started it into life, the damsel bowed to Brahman and with joined palms said, ‘Lord of every created thing, what task am I to accomplish and what have I been created for?’ The Grandsire answered, ‘Go, O Tilottama, unto the Asuras, Sunda and Upasunda. O amiable one, tempt them with thy captivating beauty. And, O damsel, conduct thyself there in such a way that the Asura brothers may, in consequence of the wealth of thy beauty, quarrel with each other as soon as they cast their eyes upon thee.’

“Narada continued, ‘Bowing unto the Grandsire and saying, ‘So be it,’—the damsel walked round the celestial conclave. The illustrious Brahman was then sitting with face turned eastwards, and Mahadeva with face also towards the east, and all the celestials with faces northwards, and the Rishis with faces towards all directions. While Tilottama walked round the conclave of the celestials, Indra and the illustrious Sthanu (Mahadeva) were the only ones that succeeded in preserving their tranquillity of mind. But exceedingly desirous as Mahadeva was (of beholding Tilottama) when the damsel (in her progress round the celestial conclave) was at his side, another face like a full-blown lotus appeared on the southern side of his body. And when she was behind him, another face appeared on the west. And when the damsel was on the northern side of the great god, a fourth face appeared on the northern side of his body. Mahadeva (who was eager to behold the damsel) came also to have a thousand eyes, each large and slightly reddish, before, behind and on his flanks. And it was thus that Sthanu the great god came to have four faces, and the slayer of Vala, a thousand eyes. And as regards the mass of the celestials and the Rishis, they turned their faces towards all directions as Tilottama walked round them. Except the divine Grandsire himself, the glances of those illustrious personages, even of all of them fell upon Tilottama’s body. And when Tilottama set out (for the city of the Asuras) with the wealth of her beauty, all regarded the task as already accomplished. After Tilottama had gone away, the great god who was the First Cause of the Universe, dismissed all the celestials and the Rishis.’”