Mahabharata · Book 15 · Ashramavasika Parva
Mahabharata, Book 15, Section XXIVआश्रमवासिकपर्व
Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 15.24.
Sanskrit
वैशम्पायन उवाच।
एवं ते पुरुषव्याघ्राः पाण्डवा मातृनन्दनाः।
स्मरन्तो मातरं वीरा बभूवुर्भशदुःखिताः।।
ये राजकार्येषु पुरा व्यासक्ता नित्यशोऽभवन्।
ते राजकार्याणि तदा नाकार्षुः सर्वतः पुरे।।
प्रविष्टा इव शोकेन नाभ्यनन्दन्त किञ्चन।
सम्भाष्यमाणा अपि ते न किञ्चित्प्रत्यपूजयन्।।
ते स्म वीरा दुराधर्षा गांभीर्ये सागरोपमाः।
शोकोपहतविज्ञाना नष्टसंज्ञा इवाभवन्।।
अचिन्तयंश्च जननीं ततस्ते पाण्डुनन्दनाः।
कथं नु वृद्धमिथुनं वहत्यतिकृशा पृथा।।
कथं च स महीपालो हतपुत्रो निराश्रयः।
पत्न्या सह वसत्येको वने श्वापदसेविते।।
सा च देवी महाभागा गान्धारी हतबान्धवा।
पतिमन्धं कथं वृद्धमन्वेति विजने वने।।
एवं तेषां कथयतामौत्सुक्यमभवत्तदा।
गमने चाभवद्बुद्धिर्धृतराष्ट्रदिदृक्षया।।
सहदेवस्तु राजानं प्रणिपत्येदमब्रवीत्।
अहो मे भवतो दृष्टं हृदयं गमनं प्रति।
न हि त्वां गौरवेणाहमशकं वक्तुमञ्जसा।
गमनं प्रति राजेन्द्र तदिदं समुपस्थितम्।।
दिष्ट्या द्रक्ष्यामि तां कुन्तीं वर्तयन्तीं तपस्विनीम्।
जटिलां तापसीं वृद्धां कुशकाशपरिक्षताम्।।
प्रासादहर्म्यसंवृद्धामत्यन्तसुखभागिनीम्।
कदानुजननीं श्रान्तां द्रक्ष्यामि भृशदुःखिताम्।।
अनित्याः खलु मर्त्यानां गतयो भरतर्षभ।
कुन्ती राजसुता यत्र वसत्यसुखिता वने।।
सहदेववचः श्रुत्वा द्रौपदी योषितां वरा।
उवाच देवी राजानमभिपूज्याभिनन्द्य च।
कदा द्रक्ष्यामि तां देवीं यदि जीवति सा पृथा।
जीवन्त्या ह्यद्य मे प्रीतिर्भविष्यति जनाधिप।।
एषा तेऽस्तु मतिर्नित्यं धर्मे ते रमतां मनः।
योऽद्य त्वमस्मान्राजेन्द्र श्रेयसा योजयिष्यसि।।
अग्रपादस्थितं चेमं विद्धि राजन्वधूजनम्।
काङ्क्षन्तं दर्शनं कुन्त्या गान्धार्याः श्वसुरस्च च।।
इत्युक्तः स नृपो देव्या द्रौपद्या भरतर्षभ।
सेनाध्यक्षान्समानाय्य सर्वानिदमुवाच ह।।
निर्यातयत मे सेनां प्रभूतरथकुञ्जराम्।
द्रक्ष्यामि वनसंस्थं च धृताष्ट्रं महीपतिम्।।
स्त्र्यध्यक्षांश्चाब्रवीद्राजा यानानि विविधानि मे।
सज्जीक्रियन्तां सर्वाणि शिबिकाश्च सहस्रशः।।
शकटापणवेशाश्च कोशः शिल्पिन एव च।
निर्यान्तु कोशपालाश्च कुरुक्षेत्राश्रमं प्रति।।
यश्च पौरजनः कश्चिद्द्रष्टुमिच्छति पार्थिवम्।
अनावृतः सुविहितः स च यातु सुरक्षितः।।
सूदाः पौरोगवाश्चैव सर्वं चैव महानसम्।
विविधं भक्ष्यभोज्यं च शकटैरुह्यतां मम।।
प्रयाणं घुष्यतां चैव श्वोभूत इति माचिरम्।
क्रियतां पथि चाप्यद्य वेश्मानि विविधानि च।
एवमाज्ञाप्य राजा स भ्रातृभिः सह पाण्डवः।
श्वोभूते निर्ययौ राजन्सस्त्रीवृद्धपुरःसरः।।
स बहिर्दिवसानेव जनौघं परिपालयन्।
न्यवसन्नृपतिः पञ्च ततोऽगच्छद्वनं प्रति।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आश्रमवासिकपर्वणि
आश्रमवासपर्वणि चतुर्विंशोऽध्यायः।। 24 ।।
English Ganguli
"Vaisampayana said, 'The Pandavas alighted, at a distance, from their cars and proceeded on foot to the retreat of the king, bending themselves in humility. All the combatants also, and all the denizens of the kingdom, and the spouses of the Kuru chiefs, followed them on foot. The Pandavas then reached the sacred retreat of Dhritarashtra which abounded with herds of deer and which was adorned with plantain plants. Many ascetics of rigid vows, filled with curiosity, came there for beholding the Pandavas who had arrived at the retreat. The king, with tears in his eyes, asked them, saying,—"Where has my eldest sire, the perpetuator of Kuru's race, gone?" They answered, O monarch, telling him that he had gone to the Yamuna for his ablutions, as also for fetching flowers and waters. Proceeding quickly on foot along the path pointed out by them, the Pandavas beheld all of them from a distance. Desirous of meeting with their sire they walked with a rapid pace. Then Sahadeva ran with speed towards the spot where Pritha was. Touching the feet of his mother, he began to weep aloud. With tears gushing down her cheeks, she saw her darling child. Raising her son up and embracing him with her arms, she informed Gandhari of Sahadeva's arrival. Then seeing the king and Bhimasena and Arjuna, and Nakula, Pritha endeavoured to advance quickly towards them. She was walking in advance of the childless old couple, and was dragging them forward. The Pandavas, beholding her, fell down on the earth. The puissant and high-souled monarch, endued with great intelligence, recognising them by their voices and also by touch, comforted them one after another. Shedding tears, those high-souled princes, with due formalities, approached the old king and Gandhari, as also their own mother. Indeed, regaining their senses, and once more comforted by their mother, the Pandavas took away from the king and their aunt and mother the jars full of water which they had been carrying, forbearing them themselves. The ladies of those lions among men, and all the women of the royal household, as also all the inhabitants of the city and provinces, then beheld the old king. King Yudhishthira presented all those individuals one after another to the old king, repeating their names and races, and then himself worshipped his eldest sire with reverence. Surrounded by them all, the old monarch, with eyes bathed in tears of joy, regarded himself as once more staying in the midst of the city called after the elephant. Saluted with reverence by all his daughters-in-law headed by Krishna, king Dhritarashtra, endued with great intelligence, with Gandhari and Kunti, became filled with joy. He then reached his forest-retreat that was applauded by Siddhas and Charanas, and that then teemed with vast crowds of men all desirous of beholding him, like the firmament teeming with innumerable stars.'"