Mahabharata, Book 14, Section LXXIIआश्वमेधिकपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 14.72.

72Sanskrit adhyāya 14.72 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

वैशम्पायन उवाच।
एवमुक्तस्तु कृष्णेन धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः।
व्यासमामन्त्र्य् मेधावी ततो वाचनमब्रवीत्।।
यदा कालं भवान्वेत्ति हयमेधस्य तत्त्वतः।
दीक्षयस्व तदा मां त्वं त्वय्यायत्तो हि मे क्रुतुः।।
व्यास उवाच।
अयं पैलोथ कौन्तेय याज्ञवल्क्यस्तथैव च।
विधानं यद्यथा कालं तत्कर्तारौ न संशयः।।
चैत्र्यां हि पौर्णमास्यां तु तव दीक्षा भविष्यति।
सम्भाराः सम्भ्रियन्तां च यज्ञार्थं पुरुषर्षभ।।
अश्वविद्याविदश्चैव सूता विप्राश्च तद्विदः।
मेध्यमश्वं परीक्षन्तां तव यज्ञार्थसिद्धये।।
तमुत्सृज यथाशास्त्रं पृथिवीं सागराम्बराम्।
सपर्येतु यशो नाम्ना तव पार्थिव वर्धयन्।।
इत्युक्तः स तथेत्युक्त्वा पाण्डवः पृथिवीपतिः।
चकार सर्वं राजेन्द्र यथोक्तं ब्रह्मवादिना।।
सम्भारश्चैव राजेन्द्र सर्वे सङ्कल्पितास्तता।।
स सम्भारान्समाहृत्य नृपो धर्मसुतस्तदा।
न्यवेदयदमेयात्मा कृष्णद्वैपायनाय वै।।
ततोऽब्रवीन्महातेजा व्यासो धर्मात्मजं नृपम्।
यथाकालं यथायोगं सज्जाः स्म तव दीक्षणे।।
स्फ्यश्च कूर्चश्च सौवर्णो यच्चान्यदपि कौरव।
यत्तु योग्यं भवेत्किञ्चिद्रौक्मं तत्क्रियतामिति।।
अश्वश्चोत्सृज्यतामद्य पृथ्व्यामथ यथाक्रमम्।
सुगुप्तं चरतां चापि यथाशास्त्रं यथाविधि।।
युधिष्ठिर उवाच।
अयमश्वो यता ब्रह्मन्नुत्सृष्टः पृथिवीमिमाम्।
चरिष्यति यथाकामं तत्र वै संविदीयताम्।।
पृथिवीं पर्यटन्तं हि तुरगं कामचारिणम्।
कः पालयेदिति मुने तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति।।
इत्युक्तः स तु राजेन्द्र कृष्णद्वैपायनोऽब्रवीत्।
भीमसेनादवरजः श्रेष्ठः सर्वधनुष्मताम्।
जिष्णुः सहिष्णुर्धृष्णुस्च स एनं पालयिष्यति।।
शक्तः स हि महीं जेतुं निवातकवचान्तकः।
तस्मिन्ह्यस्त्राणि दिव्यानि दिव्यं संहननं तथा।
दिव्यं धनश्चेषुधी च स एनमनुयास्यति।।
स हि धर्मार्थकुशलः सर्वविद्याविशारदः।
यथाशास्त्रं नृपश्रेष्ठ चारयिष्यति ते हयम्।।
राजपुत्रो महाबाहुः श्यामो राजीवलोचनः।
अभिमन्योः पिता वीरः स एनमनुयास्यति।।
भीमसेनोपि तेजस्वी कौन्तेयोऽमितविक्रमः।
समर्थो रक्षितुं राष्ट्रं नकुलश्च विशाम्पते।।
सहदेवस्तु कौरव्य समायास्यति बुद्धिमान्।
कुटुम्बतन्त्रं विधिवत्सर्वमेव महायशाः।।
स तु सर्वं यथान्यायमुक्त कुरुकुलोद्वहः।
चकार फल्गुनं चापि संदिदेश हयं प्रति।।
युधिष्ठिर उवाच।
एह्यर्जुन त्वया वीर हयोऽयं परिपाल्यताम्।
त्वमर्हो रक्षितुं ह्येनं नान्यः कश्चन मानवः।।
ये चापि त्वां महाबाहो प्रत्युद्यान्ति नराधिपाः।
तैर्विग्रहो यथा न स्यात्तथा कार्यं त्वयाऽनघ।।
आख्यातव्यश्च भता यज्ञोऽयं मम सर्वशः।
पार्थिवेभ्यो महाबाहो समये गम्यतामिति ।।
वैशम्पायन उवाच।
एवमुक्त्वा स धर्मात्मा भ्रातरं सव्यसाचिनम्।
भीमं च नकुलं चैव पुरगुप्तौ समादधत्।।
कुटुम्बतन्त्रे च तदा सहदेवं युधांपतिम्।
अनुमान्य महीपालं धृतराष्ट्रं युधिष्ठिरः।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आश्वमेधिकपर्वणि
अनुगीतापर्वणि द्विसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः।। 72 ।।

English Ganguli

"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed by Krishna, Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, endued with great intelligence, saluted Vyasa and said these words: "Do thou cause me to be initiated when the proper hour, as thou truly knowest, comes for that rite. This my sacrifice is entirely dependent on thee."

"'Vyasa said, "Myself, O son of Kunti, and Paila and Yajnavalkya, shall without doubt, achieve every rite at the proper time. The rite of initiating thee will be performed on the day of full moon belonging to the month of Chaitra. Let all the necessaries of the sacrifice, O foremost of men, be got ready. Let Sutas well-versed in the science of horses, and let Brahmanas also possessed of the same lore, select, after examination, a worthy horse in order that thy sacrifice may be completed. Loosening the animal according to the injunctions of the scriptures, let him wander over the whole Earth with her belt of seas, displaying thy blazing glory, O king!"'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed (by the Rishi), Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, that lord of Earth, answered,—"So be it!"—and then, O monarch, he accomplished all that that utterer of Brahma had directed. All the articles necessary for the sacrifice, O king, were duly procured. The royal son of Dharma, possessed of immeasurable soul, having procured all the necessaries, informed the Island-born Krishna of it. Then Vyasa of great energy said unto the royal son of Dharma,—"As regards ourselves, we are all prepared to initiate thee in view of the sacrifice. Let the Sphya and the Kurcha and all the other articles that, O thou of Kuru's race, may be needed for thy sacrifice, be made of gold.[189] Let the horse also be loosened today, for roaming on the Earth, agreeably to the ordinances of the scriptures. Let the animal, duly protected, wander over the Earth."

"'Yudhishthira said, "Let arrangements be made by thee, O regenerate one, about loosening this horse for enabling it to wander over the Earth at its will. It behoveth thee, O ascetic, to say who will protect this steed while roaming over the Earth freely according to its will."'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed (by king Yudhishthira), O monarch, the Island-born Krishna said,—"He who is born after Bhimasena, who is the foremost of all bowmen, who is called Jishnu, who is endued with great patience and capable of overcoming all resistance,—he will protect the horse. That destroyer of the Nivatakavachas is competent to conquer the whole Earth. In him are all celestial weapons. His body is like that of a celestial in its powers of endurance. His bow and quivers are celestial. Even he will follow this horse.—He is well versed in both Religion and wealth. He is a master of all the sciences. O foremost of kings, he will agreeably to the scriptures, cause the steed to roam and graze at its will. This mighty-armed prince, of dark complexion, is endued with eyes resembling the petals of the lotus. That hero, the father of Abhimanyu, will protect the steed. Bhimasena also is endued with great energy. The son of Kunti is possessed of immeasurable might. He is competent to protect the kingdom, aided by Nakula, O monarch. Possessed of great intelligence and fame, Sahadeva will, O thou of Kuru's race, duly attend to all the relatives that have been invited to thy capital." Thus addressed by the Rishi, that perpetuator of Kuru's race, viz., Yudhishthira, accomplished every injunction duly and appointed Phalguna to attend to the horse.

"'Yudhishthira said, "Come, O Arjuna, let the horse, O hero, be protected by thee. Thou alone art competent to protect it, and none else. Those kings, O mighty-armed hero, who will come forward to encounter thee, try, O sinless one, to avoid battles with them to the best of thy power. Thou shouldst also invite them all to this sacrifice of mine. Indeed, O mighty-armed one go forth but try to establish friendly relations with them."'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'The righteous-souled king Yudhishthira, having said so unto his brother Savyasachin, commanded Bhima and Nakula to protect the city. With the permission of king Dhritarashtra, Yudhishthira then set Sahadeva, that foremost of warriors, to wait upon all the invited guests.'"