Mahabharata, Book 15, Section XXIआश्रमवासिकपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 15.21.

21Sanskrit adhyāya 15.21 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

वैशम्पायन उवाच।
ततस्तत्र मुनिश्रेष्ठा राजानं द्रष्टुमभ्ययुः।
नारदः पर्वतश्चैव देवलश्च महातपाः।।
द्वैपायनः सशिष्यश्च सिद्धाश्चान्ये मनीषिणः।
शतयूपश्च राजर्षिर्वृद्धः परमधार्मिकः।।
तेषां कुन्ती महाराज पूजां चक्रे यथाविधि।
ते चापि तुतुषुस्तस्यास्तापसाः परिचर्यया।।
तत्र धर्म्याः कथास्तात चक्रुस्ते परमर्षयः।
रमयन्तो महात्मानं धृतराष्ट्रं जनाधिपम्।।
कथान्तरे तु कस्मिंश्चिद्देवर्षिर्नारदस्ततः।
कथामिमामकथयत्सर्वप्रत्यक्षदर्शिवान्।।
नारद उवाच।
पुरा प्रजापतिसमो राजाऽऽसीदकुतोभयः।
सहस्रचित्यि इत्युक्तः शतयूपपितामहः।।
स पुत्रे राज्यमासज्ज्यि ज्येष्ठे परमधार्मिके।
सहस्रचित्यो धर्मात्मा प्रविवेश वनं नृपः।।
स गत्वा तपसः पारं दीप्तस्य वसुधाधिपः।
पुरंदरस्य संस्थानं प्रतिपेदे महाद्युतिः।।
दृष्टपूर्वः स बहुशो राजन्सम्पतता मया।
महेन्द्रसदने राजा तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषः।।
तथा शैलालयो राजा भगत्तपितामहः।
तपोबलेनैव नृपो महेन्द्रसदनं गतः।।
तथा पृषध्रो राजाऽऽसीद्राजन्वज्रधरोपमः।
स चापि तपसा लेभे नाकपृष्ठमितो गतः।।
अस्मिन्नरण्ये नृपते मांधातुरपि चात्मजः।
पुरुकुत्सो नृपः सिद्धिं महतीं समवाप्तवान्।।
भार्या समभवद्यस्य नर्मदा सरितां वरा।
सोस्मिन्नरण्ये नृपतिस्तपस्तप्त्वा दिवं गतः।।
शशलोमा च राजाऽऽसीद्राजन्परमधार्मिकः।
सम्यगस्मिन्वने तप्त्वा ततो दिवमवाप्तवान्।।
द्वैपायनप्रसादाच्च त्वमपीदं तपोवनम्।
राजन्नवाप्य दुष्प्रापां सिद्धिमग्र्यां गमिष्यसि।।
त्वं चापि राजशार्दूल तपसोन्ते श्रिया वृतः।
गान्धारीसहितो गन्ता गतिं तेषां महात्मनां
पाण्डुः स्मरति ते नित्यं बलहन्तुः समीपगः।
त्वां सदैव महाराज श्रेयसा स च योक्ष्यति।।
तव शुश्रूषया चैव गान्धार्याश्च यशस्विनी।
भर्तुः सलोकतां कुन्ती गमिष्यति वधूस्तव।।
युधिष्ठिरस्य जननी स हि धर्मः सनातनः।
वयमेतत्प्रपश्यामो नृपते दिव्यवक्षुषाः।।
प्रवेक्ष्यति महात्मानं विदुरश्च युधिष्ठिरम्।
संजयस्तदनुध्यानादितः स्वर्गमवाप्स्यति।।
वैशम्पायन उवाच।
एतच्छ्रुत्वा कौरवेन्द्रो महात्मा
सार्धं पत्न्या प्रीतिमान्सम्बभूव।
विद्वान्वाक्यं नारदस्य प्रशस्य
चक्रे पूजां चातुलां नारदाय।।
ततः सर्वे नारदं विप्रसङ्घाः
सम्पूजयामासुरतीव राजन्।
राज्ञः प्रीत्या धृतराष्ट्रस्य ते वै
पुनःपुनः सम्प्रहृष्टास्तदानीम्।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आश्रमवासिकपर्वणि
आश्रमवासपर्वणि एकविंशोऽध्यायः।। 21 ।।

English Ganguli

"Vaisampayana said, 'Upon the retirement of the chief of the Kurus into the forest, the Pandavas, O king, afflicted besides by grief on account of their mother, became very cheerless. The citizens also of Hastinapura were possessed by deep sorrow. The Brahmanas always talked of the old king. "How, indeed, will the king, who has become old, live in the solitary woods? How will the highly blessed Gandhari, and Pritha, the daughter of Kuntibhoja, live there? The royal sage has always lived in the enjoyment of every comfort. He will certainly be very miserable. Arrived in deep woods, what is now the condition of that personage of royal descent, who is, again, bereft of vision? Difficult is the feat that Kunti has achieved by separating herself from her sons. Alas casting off kingly prosperity, she chose a life in the woods. What, again, is the condition of Vidura who is always devoted to the service of his elder brother? How also is the intelligent son of Gavalgani who is so faithful to the food given him by his master?" Verily, the citizens, including those of even nonage meeting together, asked one another these questions. The Pandavas also, exceedingly afflicted with grief, sorrowed for their old mother, and could not live in their city long. Thinking also of their old sire, the king, who had lost all his children, and the highly blessed Gandhari, and Vidura of great intelligence, they failed to enjoy peace of mind. They had no pleasure in sovereignty, nor in women, nor in the study of the Vedas. Despair penetrated their souls as they thought of the old king and as they repeatedly reflected on that terrible slaughter of kinsmen. Indeed, thinking of the slaughter of the youthful Abhimanyu on the field of battle, of the mighty-armed Karna who never retreated from the fray, of the sons of Draupadi, and of other friends of theirs, those heroes became exceedingly cheerless. They failed to obtain peace of mind upon repeatedly reflecting that the Earth had become divested of both her heroes and her wealth. Draupadi had lost all her children, and the beautiful Subhadra also had become childless. They too were of cheerless hearts and grieved exceedingly. Beholding, however, the son of Virata's daughter, viz., thy sire Parikshit, thy grandsires somehow held their life-breaths.'"