Mahabharata · Book 1 · Adi Parva
Mahabharata, Book 1, Section XXXVI: Astika Parvaआदिपर्व
Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 1.36.
Sanskrit
आख्याता भुजगास्तात वीर्यवन्तो दुरासदाः।
शापं तं तेऽभिविज्ञाय कृतवन्तः किमुत्तरम्।।
सौतिरुवाच।
तेषां तु भगवाञ्छेषः कद्रूं त्यक्त्वा महायशाः।
उग्रं तपः समातस्थे वायुभक्षो यतव्रतः।।
गन्धमादनमासाद्य बदर्यां च तपोरतः।
गोकर्णे पुष्करारण्ये तथा हिमवतस्तटे।।
तेषु तेषु च पुण्येषु तीर्थेष्वायतनेषु च।
एकान्तशीलो नियतः सततं विजितेन्द्रियः।।
तप्यमानं तपो घोरं तं ददर्श पितामहः।
संशुष्कमांसत्वक्स्नायुं जटाचीरधरं मुनिम्।।
तमब्रवीत्सत्यधृतिं तप्यमानं पितामहः।
किमिदं कुरुषे शेष प्रजानां स्वस्ति वै कुरु।।
त्वं हि तीव्रेण तपसा प्रजास्तापयसेऽनघ।
ब्रूहि कामं च मे शेष यस्ते हृदि व्यवस्थितः।।
शेष उवाच।
सोदर्या मम सर्वे हि भ्रातरो मन्दचेतसः।
सह तैर्नोत्सहे वस्तुं तद्भवाननुमन्यताम्।।
अभ्यसूयन्ति सततं परस्परममित्रवत्।
ततोऽहं तप आतिष्ठे नैतन्पश्येयमित्युत।।
न मर्षयन्ति ससुतां सततं विनतां च ते।
अस्माकं चापरो भ्राता वैनतेयोऽन्तरिक्षगः।।
तं च द्विषन्ति सततं स चापि बलवत्तरः।
वरप्रदानात्स पितुः कश्यपस्य महात्मनः।।
सोऽहं तपः समास्थाय मोक्ष्यामीदं कलेवरम्।
कथं मे प्रेत्यभावेऽपि न तैः स्यात्सह सङ्गमः।।
तमेवं वादिनं शेषं पितामह उवाच ह।
जानामि शेष सर्वेषां भ्रातॄणां ते विचेष्टितम्।।
मातुश्चाप्यपराधाद्वै भ्रातॄणां ते महद्भयम्।
कृतोऽत्र परिहारश्च पूर्वमेव भुजङ्गम।।
भ्रातॄणां तव सर्वेषां न शोकं कर्तुमर्हसि।
वृणीष्व च वरं मत्तः शेष यत्तेऽभिकाङ्क्षितम्।।
दास्यामि हि वरं तेऽद्य प्रीतिर्मे परमा त्वयि।
दिष्ट्या बुद्धिश्च ते धर्मे निविष्टा पन्नगोत्तम।
भूयो भूयश्च ते बुद्धिर्धर्मे भवतु सुस्थिरा।।
शेष उवाच।
एष एव वरो देव काङ्क्षितो मे पितामह।
धर्मे मे रमतां बुद्धिः शमे तपसि चेश्वर।।
ब्रह्मोवाच।
प्रीतोऽस्म्यनेन ते शेष दमेन च शमेन च।
त्वया त्विदं वचः कार्यं मन्नियोगात्प्रजाहितम्।।
इमां महीं शैलवनोपपन्नां
ससागरग्रामविहारपत्तनाम्
त्वं शेष सम्यक् चलितां यथाव-
त्संगृह्य तिष्ठस्व यथाऽचला स्यात्।।
शेष उवाच।
यथाऽऽह देवो वरदः प्रजापति-
र्महीपतिर्भूतपतिर्जगत्पतिः।
तथा महीं धारयिताऽस्मि निश्चलां
प्रयच्छतां मे विवरं प्रजापते।।
ब्रह्मोवाच।
अधो महीं गच्छ भुजङ्गमोत्तम
स्वयं तवैषा विवरं प्रदास्यति।
इमां धरां धारयता त्वया हि मे
महत्प्रियं शेष कृतं भविष्यति।।
सौतिरुवाच।
तथैव कृत्वा विवरं प्रविश्य स
प्रभुर्भुवो भुजगवराग्रजः स्थितः।
बिभर्ति देवीं शिरसा महीमिमां
समुद्रनेमिं परिगृह्य सर्वतः।।
ब्रह्मोवाच।
शेषोऽसि नागोत्तम धर्मदेवो
महीमिमां धारयसे यदेकः।
अनन्तभोगैः परिगृह्य सर्वां
यथाहमेवं बलभिद्यथा वा।।
सौतिरुवाच।
अधो भूमौ वसत्येवं नागोऽनन्तः प्रतापवान्।
धास्यन्वसुधामेकः शासनाद्ब्रह्मणो विभोः।।
सुपर्णं च सहायं वै भगवानमरोत्तमः।
प्रादादनन्ताय तदा वैनतेयं पितामहः।।
`अनन्तेऽभिप्रयाते तु वासुकिः स महाबलः।
अभ्यषिच्यत नागैस्तु दैवतैरिव वासवः।।'
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आदिपर्वणि
आस्तीकपर्वणि षट्त्रिंशोऽध्यायः।। 36 ।।
English Ganguli
“Saunaka said, ‘O child, thou hast named many of the serpents gifted with great energy and incapable of being easily overcome. What did they do after hearing of that curse?’
“Sauti said, ‘The illustrious Sesha amongst them, of great renown, leaving his mother practised hard penances, living upon air and rigidly observing his vows. He practised these ascetic devotions, repairing to Gandhamadana, Vadri, Gokarna, the woods of Pushkara, and the foot of Himavat. And he passed his days in those sacred regions, some of which were sacred for their water and others for their soil in the rigid observance of his vows, with singleness of aim, and his passions under complete control. And the Grandsire of all, Brahma, saw that ascetic with knotted hair, clad in rags, and his flesh, skin, and sinews dried up owing to the hard penances he was practising. And the Grandsire addressing him, that penance-practising one of great fortitude, said, ‘What is that thorn doest, O Sesha? Let the welfare of the creatures of the worlds also engage thy thoughts. O sinless one, thou art afflicting all creatures by thy hard penances. O Sesha, tell me the desire implanted in thy breast.’
“And Sesha replied, ‘My uterine brothers are all of wicked hearts. I do not desire to live amongst them. Let this be sanctioned by thee. Like enemies they are always jealous of one another. I am, therefore, engaged in ascetic devotions. I will not see them even. They never show any kindness for Vinata and her son. Indeed, Vinata’s son capable of ranging through the skies, is another brother of ours. They always envy him. And he, too, is much stronger owing to the bestowal of that boon by our father, the high-souled Kasyapa. For these, I engaged in ascetic penances, and I will cast off this body of mine, so that I may avoid companionship with them, even in another state of life.’
“Unto Sesha who had said so, the Grandsire said, ‘O Sesha, I know the behaviour of all thy brothers and their great danger owing to their offence against their mother. But O Snake, a remedy (for this) hath been provided by me even beforehand. It behoveth thee not to grieve for thy brothers. O Sesha, ask of me the boon thou desirest. I have been highly gratified with thee and I will grant thee today a boon. O best of snakes, it is fortunate that thy heart hath been set on virtue. Let thy heart be more and more firmly set on virtue.’
“Then Sesha replied, ‘O divine Grandsire, this is the boon desired by me; viz., may my heart always delight in virtue and in blessed ascetic penances, O Lord of all!’
“Brahman said, ‘O Sesha, I am exceedingly gratified with this thy self-denial and love of peace. But, at my command, let this act be done by thee for the good of my creatures. Bear thou, O Sesha, properly and well this Earth so unsteady with her mountains and forests, her seas and towns and retreats, so that she may be steady.’
“Sesha said, ‘O divine Lord of all creatures, O bestower of boons, O lord of the Earth, lord of every created thing, lord of the universe, I will, even as thou sayest hold the Earth steady. Therefore, O lord of all creatures, place her on my head.’
“Brahman said, ‘O best of snakes, go underneath the Earth. She will herself give thee a crevice to pass through. And, O Sesha, by holding the Earth, thou shalt certainly do what is prized by me very greatly.’
“Sauti continued, ‘Then the elder brother of the king of the snakes, entering a hole, passed to the other side of the Earth, and holding her, supported with his head that goddess with her belt of seas passing all round.’
“Brahman said, ‘O Sesha, O best of snakes, thou art the god Dharma, because alone, with thy huge body, thou supportest the Earth with everything on her, even as I myself, or Valavit (Indra), can.’
“Sauti continued, ‘The snake, Sesha, the lord Ananta, of great prowess, lives underneath the Earth, alone supporting the world at the command of Brahman. And the illustrious Grandsire, the best of the immortals, then gave unto Ananta the bird of fair feathers, viz., the son of Vinata, for Ananta’s help.’”
So ends the thirty-sixth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.