Mahabharata, Book 15, Section XIXआश्रमवासिकपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 15.19.

19Sanskrit adhyāya 15.19 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

वैशम्पायन उवाच।
कुन्त्यास्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा पाण्डवा राजसत्तम।
व्रीडिताः संन्यवर्तन्त पाञ्चाल्या सह भारत।।
ततः शब्दो महानेव सर्वेषामभवत्तदा।
अन्तःपुराणां रुदतां दृष्ट्वा कुन्तीं तथा गताम्।।
प्रदक्षिणमथावृत्त्य राजानं पाण्डवास्तदा।
अभिवाद्य न्यवर्तन्त पृथां तामनिवर्त्य वै।।
ततोऽब्रवीन्महातेजा धृतराष्ट्रोंऽबिकासुतः।
गान्धारीं विदुरं चैव समाभाष्यावगृह्य च।।
युधिष्ठिरस्य जननी देवी साधु निवर्त्यताम्।
यथा युधिष्ठिरः प्राह तत्सर्वं सत्यमेव हि।।
पुत्रैश्वर्यं महदिदमपास्य च महाफलम्।
काऽनुगच्छेद्वनं दुर्गं पुत्रानुत्सृज्य मूढवत्।।
राज्यस्थया तपस्तप्तुं कर्तुं दानव्रतं महत्।
अनया शक्यमेवाद्य श्रूयतां च वचो मम।।
गान्धारि परितुष्टोस्मि वध्वाः शुश्रूषणेन वै।
तस्मात्त्वमेनां धर्मज्ञे समनुज्ञातुमर्हसि।।
इत्युक्ता सौबलेयी तु राज्ञा कुन्तीमुवाच ह।
तत्सर्वं राजवचनं स्वं च वाक्यं विशेषवत्।।
न च सा वनवासाय देवी कृतमतिं तदा।
शक्नोत्युपावर्तयितुं कुन्तीं धर्मपरां सतीम्।।
तस्यास्तां तु स्थितिं ज्ञात्वा व्यवसायं कुरुस्त्रियः।
निवृत्तांश्च कुरुश्रेष्ठान्दृष्ट्वा प्ररुरुदुस्तदा।।
उपावृत्तेषु पार्थेषु सर्वास्वेव वधूषु च।
ययौ राजा महाप्राज्ञो धृतराष्ट्रो वनं तदा।।
पाण्डवाश्चातिदीनास्ते दुःखशोकपरायणाः।
यानैः स्त्रीसहिताः सर्वे पुरं प्रविविशुस्तदा।।
तदहृष्टमनानन्दं गतोत्सवमिवाभवत्।
नगरं हास्तिनपुरं सस्त्रीवृद्धकुमारकम्।।
सर्वे चासन्निरुत्साहाः पाण्डवा जातमन्यवः।
कुन्त्या हीनाः सुदुःखार्ता वत्सा इव विनाकृताः।।
धृतराष्ट्रस्तु तेनाह्ना गत्वा सुमहदन्तरम्।
ततो भागीरथीतीरे निवासमकरोत्प्रभुः।।
प्रादुष्कृता यथान्यायमग्नयो वेदपारगैः।
व्यराजन्त द्विजश्रेष्ठैस्तत्रतत्र तपोवने।
प्रादुष्कृताग्निरभवत्स च वृद्धो नराधिपः।।
स राजाऽग्नीन्पर्युपास्य हुत्वा च विधिवत्तदा।
सन्ध्यागतं सहस्रांशुमुपातिष्ठत भारत।।
विदुरः संजयश्चैव राज्ञः शय्यां कुशैस्ततः।
चक्रतुः कुरुवीरस्य गान्धार्याश्चाविदूरतः।।
गान्धार्याः सन्निकर्षे तु निषसाद कुशे सुखम्।
युधिष्ठिरस्य जननी कुन्ती साधुव्रते स्थिता।।
तेषां संश्रवणे चापि निषेदुर्विदुरादयः।
याजकाश्च यथोद्देशं द्विजा ये चानुयायिनः।।
प्राधीतद्विजमुख्या सा संप्रज्वलितपावका।
बभूव तेषां रजनी ब्राह्मीव प्रीतिवर्धिनी।।
ततो रात्र्यां व्यतीतायां कृतपूर्वाह्णिकक्रियाः।
हुत्वाऽग्निं विधिवत्सर्वे प्रययुस्ते यथाक्रमम्।
उदङ्मुखा निरीक्षन्त उपवासपरायणाः।।
स तेषामतिदुःखोऽभून्निवासः प्रथमेऽहनि।
शोचतां वदतां चापि पौरजानपदैर्जनैः।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आश्रमवासिकर्वणि
आश्रमवासपर्वणि एकोनविंशोऽध्यायः।। 19 ।।

English Ganguli

"Vaisampayana said. 'Following the advice of Vidura, the king took up his abode on the banks of the Bhagirathi which were sacred and deserved to be peopled with the righteous. There many Brahmanas who had taken up their abode in the woods, as also many Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras, came to see the old monarch. Sitting in their midst, he gladdened them all by his words. Having duly worshipped the Brahmanas with their disciples, he dismissed them all. As evening came, the king, and Gandhari of great fame, both descended into the stream of the Bhagirathi and duly performed their ablutions for purifying themselves. The king and the queen, and Vidura and others, O Bharata, having bathed in the sacred stream, performed the usual rites of religion. After the king had purified himself by a bath, the daughter of Kuntibhoja gently led both him, who was to her as her father-in-law and Gandhari from the water into the dry bank. The Yajakas had made a sacrificial altar there for the king. Devoted to truth, the latter poured libations then on the fire. From the banks of the Bhagirathi the old king, with his followers, observant of vows and with senses restrained, then proceeded to Kurukshetra. Possessed of great intelligence, the king arrived at the retreat of the royal sage Satayupa of great wisdom and had an interview with him. Satayupa, O scorcher of foes, had been the great king of the Kekayas. Having made over the sovereignty of his kingdom to his son he had come into the woods. Satayupa, received king Dhritarashtra with due rites. Accompanied by him, the latter proceeded to the retreat of Vyasa. Arrived at Vyasa's retreat, the delighter of the Kurus received his initiation into the forest mode of life. Returning he took up his abode in the retreat of Satayupa. The high-souled Satayupa, instructed Dhritarashtra in all the rites of the forest mode, at the command of Vyasa. In this way the high-souled Dhritarashtra set himself to the practice of penances, and all his followers also to the same course of conduct. Queen Gandhari also, O monarch, along with Kunti, assumed barks of trees and deer-skins for her robe, and set herself to the observance of the same vows as her lord. Restraining their senses in thought, words, and deeds, as well as by eye, they began to practise severe austerities. Divested of all stupefaction of mind, king Dhritarashtra began to practise vows and penances like a great Rishi, reducing his body to skin and bones, for his flesh was all dried up, bearing matted locks on head, and his person clad in barks and skins. Vidura, conversant with the true interpretations of righteousness, and endued with great intelligence, as also Sanjaya, waited upon the old king with his wife. Both of them with souls under subjection, Vidura and Sanjaya also reduced themselves, and wore barks and rags.'"