Mahabharata · Book 15 · Ashramavasika Parva
Mahabharata, Book 15, Section XIVआश्रमवासिकपर्व
Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 15.14.
Sanskrit
एवमुक्तस्तु राज्ञा स विदुरो बुद्धिसत्तमः।
धृतराष्ट्रमुपेत्यैव वाक्यमाह महार्थवत्।।
उक्तो युधिष्ठिरो राजा भवद्वचनमादितः।
स च संश्रुत्य वाक्यं ते प्रशशंस महाद्युतिः।।
बीभत्सुश्च महातेजा निवेदयति ते गृहान्।
वसु तस्य गृहे यच्च प्राणानपि च केवलान्।।
धर्मराजश्च पुत्रस्ते राज्यं प्राणान्धनानि च।
अनुजानाति राजर्षे यच्चान्यदपि किञ्चन।।
भीमस्तु सर्वदुःखानि संस्मृत्य बहुलान्युत।
कृच्छ्रादिव महाबाहुरनुजज्ञे विनिःश्वसन्।।
र राजन्धर्मशीलेन राज्ञा बीभत्सुना तथा।
अनुनीतो महाबाहुः सौहृदे स्थापितोपि च।।
न च मन्युस्त्वया कार्य इति त्वां प्राह धर्मराट्।
संस्मृत्य भीमस्तद्वैरं यदन्यायवदाचरत्।।
एवंप्रायो हि धर्मोऽयं क्षत्रियाणां नराधिप।
शुद्धे क्षत्रियधर्मे न निरतोऽयं वृकोदरः।।
वृकोदरकृते चाहमर्जुनश्च पुनः पुनः।
प्रसीद याचे नृपते भवान्प्रभुरिहास्ति यत्।।
तद्ददातु भवान्वित्तं यावदिच्छसि पार्थिवः।
त्वमीश्वरो नो राज्यस्य प्राणानामपि भारत।।
ब्रह्मदेयाग्रहारांश्च पुत्राणामौर्ध्वदेहिकम्।
इतो रत्नानि गाश्चैव दासीदासमजाविकम्।।
अर्चयित्वा कुरुश्रेष्ठो ब्राह्मणेभ्यः प्रयच्छतु।
दीनान्धकृपणेभ्यश्च तत्रतत्र नृपाज्ञया।।
बह्वन्नरसपानाढ्याः सभा विदुर कारय।
गवां निपानान्यन्यच्च विविधं पुण्यकं कुरु।।
इति मामब्रवीद्राजा पार्थश्चैव धनंजयः।
यदत्रानन्तरं कार्यं तद्भवम्ववक्तुमर्हति।।
इत्युक्ते विदुरेणाथ धृतराष्ट्रोऽभिनन्द्य तान्।
मनश्चक्रे महादाने कार्तिक्यां जनमेजय।।
।। इती श्रीमन्महाभारते आश्रमवासिकपर्वणि
आश्रमवासपर्वणि चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः।। 14 ।।
English Ganguli
"Vaisampayana said,—'Thus addressed by Vidura, king Dhritarashtra became highly pleased, O monarch, with the act of Yudhishthira and Jishnu. Inviting then, after proper examination, thousands of deserving Brahmanas and superior Rishis, for the sake of Bhishma, as also of his sons and friends, and causing a large quantity of food and drink to be prepared, and cars and other vehicles and clothes, and gold and jewels and gems, and slaves both male and female, and goats and sheep, and blankets and costly articles to be collected, and villages and fields, and other kinds of wealth to be kept ready, as also elephants and steeds decked with ornaments, and many beautiful maidens who were the best of their sex, that foremost of kings gave them away for the advancement of the dead, naming each of them in due order as the gifts were made. Naming Drona, and Bhishma, and Somadatta, and Valhika, and king Duryodhana, and each one of his other sons, and all his well-wishers with Jayadratha numbering first, those gifts were made in due order. With the approval of Yudhishthira, that Sraddha-sacrifice became characterised by large gifts of wealth and profuse presents of jewels and gems and other kinds of treasure. Tellers and scribes on that occasion, under the orders of Yudhishthira, ceaselessly asked the old king.—Do thou command, O monarch, what gifts should be made to these. All things are ready here.—As soon as the king spoke, they gave away what he directed.[30] Unto him that was to receive a hundred, a thousand was given, and unto him that was to receive a thousand was given ten thousand, at the command of the royal son of Kunti.[31] Like the clouds vivifying the crops with their downpours, that royal cloud gratified the Brahmanas by downpours of wealth. After all those gifts had been distributed, the king, O thou of great intelligence, then deluged the assembled guests of all the four orders with repeated surges of food and drink of diverse tastes. Verily, the Dhritarashtra-ocean, swelling high, with jewels and gems for its waters, rich with the villages and fields and other foremost of gifts constituting its verdant islands, heaps of diverse kinds of precious articles for its rich caves, elephants and steeds for its alligators and whirlpools, the sound of Mridangas for its deep roars, and clothes and wealth and precious stones for its waves, deluged the Earth. It was even in this way, O king, that that monarch made gifts for the advancement in the other world of his sons and grandsons and Pitris as also of himself and Gandhari. At last when he became tired with the task of making gifts in such profusion, that great Gift-sacrifice came to an end. Even thus did that king of Kuru's race perform his Gift-sacrifice. Actors and mimes continually danced and sang on the occasion and contributed to the merriment of all the guests. Food and drink of diverse tastes were given away in large quantities. Making gifts in this way for ten days, the royal son of Amvika, O chief of Bharata's race, became freed from the debts he owed to his sons and grandsons.'"