Mahabharata, Book 3, Section CXXIIIवनपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 3.123.

123Sanskrit adhyāya 3.123 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

लोमश उवाच।
भृगोर्महर्षेः पुत्रोऽभूच्चयवनो नाम भारत।
समीपे सरसस्तस्य तपस्तेपे महाद्युतिः ।।
स्थाणुभूतो महातेजा वीरस्थानेन पाण्डव।
अतिष्ठत चिरं कालमेकदेशे विशांपते ।।
सवल्मीकोऽभवदृषिर्लताभिरिव संवृतः।
कालेन महता राजन्समाकीर्णः पिपीलिकैः ।।
तथा स संवृतो धीमान्मृत्पिण्ड इव सर्वशः।
तप्यते स्म तपो घोरं वल्मीकेन समावृतः ।।
अथ दीर्घस्य कालस्य शर्यातिर्नाम पार्थिवः।
आजगाम सरो रम्यं विहर्तुमिदमुत्तमम् ।।
तस्य स्त्रीणां सहस्राणि चत्वार्यासन्परिग्रहः।
एकैव च सुता सुभ्रूः सुकन्या नाम भारत ।।
सा सखीभिः परिवृता दिव्याभरणभूषिता।
चङ्क्रम्यमाणा वल्मीकं भार्गवस्य समासदत् ।।
सा वै वसुमतीं तत्र पश्यन्ती सुमनोरमाम्।
वनस्पतीन्प्रचिन्वन्ती विजहार सखीवृता ।।
रूपेण वयसा चैव भदनेन मदेन च।
बभञ्ज वनवृक्षाणां शाखाः परमपुष्पिताः ।।
तां सखीरहितामेकामेकवस्त्रामलंकृताम्।
ददर्श भार्गवो धमांश्चरन्तीमिव विद्युतम् ।।
तां पश्यमानो विजने स रेमे परमद्युतिः।
क्षामकण्ठश्च विप्रर्षिस्तपोबलसमन्वितः।
तामाबभाषेकल्याणीं सा चास्य न शृणोति वै ।।
ततः सुकन्या वल्मीके दृष्ट्वा भार्गवचक्षुषी।
कौतूहलात्कण्टकेन बुद्धिमोहबलात्कृता।
किंनु खल्विदमित्युक्त्वा निर्बिभेदास्य लोचने ।।
अक्रुद्ध्यत्स तथा विद्धे नेत्रे परममन्युमान्।
ततः शर्यातिसैन्यस्य शकृन्मूत्रे समावृणोत् ।।
ततो रुद्धे शकृन्मूत्रे सैन्यमासीत्सुदुःखितम्।
तथागतमभिप्रेक्ष्य पर्यपृच्छत्स पार्थिवः ।।
तपोनित्यस्य वृद्धस्य रोषणस्य विशेषतः।
केनापकृतमद्येह भार्गवस्य महात्मनः।
ज्ञातं वा यदि वाऽज्ञातं तद्द्रुतं ब्रूत माचिरम् ।।
तमूचुः सैनिकाः सर्वे न विद्मोऽपकृतं वयम्।
सर्वोपायैर्यथाकामं भवांस्तदधिगच्छतु ।।
ततः स पृथिवीपालः साम्ना चोग्रेण च स्वयम्।
पर्यपृच्छत्सुहृद्वर्गं पर्यजानन्न चैव ते ।।
आनाहार्तं ततो दृष्ट्वा तत्सैन्यमनुखार्दितम्।
पितरं दुःखितं दृष्ट्वा सुकन्येदमथाब्रवीत् ।।
मयाऽटन्त्येह वल्मीके दृष्टं सत्वमभिज्वलत्।
खद्योतवदभिज्ञातं तन्मया विद्धमन्तिकात् ।।
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु वल्मीकं शर्यातिस्तूर्णमभ्ययात्।
तत्रापशय्त्तपोवृद्धं चन्द्रादित्यसमप्रभम् ।।
अयाचदथ सैन्यार्थं प्राञ्जलिः पृथिवीपतिः।
अज्ञानाद्बालया यत्ते कृतं तत्क्षन्तुमर्हसि ।।
ततोऽब्रवीन्महीपालं च्यवनो भार्गवस्तदा।
अपमानादहं विद्धो ह्यनया दर्पपूर्णया ।।
रूपौदार्यसमायुक्तां लोभमोहबलात्कृताम्।
तामेव प्रतिगृह्याहं राजन्दुहितरं तव।
क्षंस्यामीति महीपाल सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीमि ते ।।
लोमश उवाच।
ऋषेर्वचनमाज्ञाय शर्यातिरविचारयन्।
ददौ दुहितरं तस्मै च्यवनाय महात्मने ।।
प्रतिगृह्य च तां कन्यां भगवान्प्रससाद ह।
प्राप्तप्रसादौ राजा वै ससैन्यः पुरमाव्रजत् ।।
सुकन्याऽपि पतिं लब्ध्वा तपस्विनमनिन्दिता।
नित्यं पर्यचरत्प्रीत्या तपसा नियमेन च ।।
अग्नीनामतीथीनां च शुश्रूषुनसूयिका।
समाराधयत क्षिप्रं च्यवनं सा शुभानना ।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते अरण्यपर्वणि
तीर्थयात्रापर्वणि
त्रयोविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः ।। 123 ।।

English Ganguli

“Lomasa said, ‘Once on a time, O king, those celestials, namely the twin Aswins, happened to behold Sukanya, when she had (just) bathed, and when her person was bare. And seeing that one of excellent limbs, and like unto the daughter of the lord of celestials, the nose-born Aswins neared her, and addressed her, saying, ‘O thou of shapely thighs, whose daughter art thou? And what doest thou in this wood? O auspicious one, O thou of excellent grace, we desire to know this, do thou therefore tell us.’ Thereupon she replied bashfully unto those foremost of celestials. ‘Know me as Sarayati’s daughter, and Chyavana’s wife.’ Thereat the Aswins again spake unto her, smiling. ‘What for, O fortunate one, hath thy father bestowed thee on a person who is verging on death? Surely, O timid girl, thou shinest in this wood like lightning. Not in the regions of the celestials themselves, O girl, have our eyes lighted on thy like. O damsel, unadornedand without gay robes as thou art, thou beautifiest this wood exceedingly. Still, O thou of faultless limbs, thou canst not look so beautiful, when (as at present) thou art soiled with mud and dirt, as thou couldst, if decked with every ornament and wearing gorgeous apparel. Why, O excellent girl in such plight servest thou a decrepit old husband, and one that hath become incapable of realising pleasure and also of maintaining thee, O thou of luminous smiles? O divinely beautiful damsel, do thou, forsaking Chyavana accept one of us for husband. It behoveth thee not to spend thy youth fruitlessly.’”

“Thus addressed Sukanya answered the celestials saying. ‘I am devoted to my husband, Chyavana: do ye not entertain any doubts (regarding my fidelity). Thereupon they again spake unto her, ‘We two are the celestial physicians of note. We will make thy lord young and graceful. Do thou then select one of us, viz., ourselves and thy husband,—for thy partner. Promising this do thou, O auspicious one, bring hither thy husband.’ .. O king, agreeably to their words she went to Bhrigu’s son and communicated to him what the two celestials had said. Hearing her message, Chyavana said unto his wife, ‘Do thou so.’ Having received the permission of her lord, (she returned to the celestials) and said, ‘Do ye so.’ Then hearing her words, viz., ‘Do ye so,’ they spoke unto the king’s daughter. ‘Let thy husband enter into water.’ Thereat Chyavana desirous of obtaining beauty, quickly entered into water. The twin Aswins also, O king, sank into the sheet of water. And the next moment they all came out of the tank in surpassingly beautiful forms, and young and wearing burnished earrings. And all, possessed of the same appearance pleasing to behold, addressed her saying, ‘O fortunate one, do thou choose one of us for spouse. And O beauteous one, do thou select him for lord who may please thy fancy.’ Finding, however, all of them of the same appearance she deliberated; and at last ascertaining the identity of her husband, even selected him.

“Having obtained coveted beauty and also his wife, Chyavana, of exceeding energy, well pleased, spake these words unto the nose-born celestials: ‘Since at your hands, an old man, I have obtained youth, and beauty, and also this wife of mine, I will, well pleased, make you quaffers of the Soma juice in the presence of the lord of celestials himself. This I tell you truly.’ Hearing this, highly delighted, the twins ascendedto heaven; and Chyavana and Sukanya too passed their days happily even like celestials.”