Mahabharata, Book 5, Section CXXउद्योगपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 5.120.

120Sanskrit adhyāya 5.120 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

नारद उवाच।
स तु राजा पुनस्तस्याः कर्तुकामः स्वयंवरम्।
उपगम्याश्रमपदं गङ्गायामुनसङ्गमे ।।
गृहीतमाल्यदामां तां रथमारोप्य माधवीम् ।
पूरुर्यदुश्च भगिनीमाश्रमे पर्यधावताम् ।।
नागयक्षमनुष्याणां गन्धर्वमृगपक्षिणाम् ।
शैलद्रुमवनौकानामासीत्तत्र समागमः ।।
नानापुरुषदेश्यानामीश्वरैश्च समाकुलम् ।
ऋषिभिर्ब्रह्मकल्पैश्च समन्तादावृतं वनम् ।।
निर्दिश्यमानेषु तु सा वरेषु वरवर्णिनी ।
वरानुत्क्रम्य सर्वास्तान्वरं वृतवती वनम् ।।
अवतीर्य रथात्कन्या नमस्कृत्य च बन्धुषु।
उपगम्य वनं पुण्यं तपस्तेपे ययातिजा ।।
उपवासैश्च विविधैर्दीक्षाभिर्नियमैस्तथा ।
आत्मनो लघुतां कृत्वा बभूव मृगचारिणी ।।
वैदूर्याङ्कुरकल्पानि मृदूनि हरितानि च।
चरन्ती श्लक्ष्णशष्पाणि तिक्तानि मधुराणि च ।।
स्रवन्तीनां च पुण्यानां सुरसानि सुचीनि च।
पिबन्ती वारिमुख्यानि शीतानि विमलानि च।।
वनेषु मृगराजेषु व्याघ्रविप्रोषितेषु च ।
दावाग्निविप्रयुक्तेषु शून्येषु गहनेषु च ।।
चरन्ती हरिणैः सार्धं मृगीव वनचारिणी ।
चचार विपुलं धर्मं ब्रह्मचर्येण संवृतम् ।।
ययातिरपि पूर्वेषां राज्ञां वृत्तमनुष्ठितः।
बहुवर्षसहस्रायुर्युयुजे कालधर्मणा ।।
पुरुर्यदुश्च द्वौ वंशे वर्धमानौ नरोत्तमौ ।
ताभ्भां प्रतिष्ठितो लोके परलोके च नाहुषः ।।
महीपते नरपतिर्ययातिः स्वर्गमास्थितः।
महर्षिकल्पो नृपतिः स्वर्गाग्र्यफलभुग्विभुः ।।
बहुवर्षसहस्राख्ये काले बहुगुणे गते।
राजर्षिषु निषण्णेषु महीयःसु महर्धिषु ।।
अवमेने नरान्सर्वान्देवानृषिगणांस्तथा।
ययातिर्मूढविज्ञानो विस्मयाविष्टचेतनः ।।
ततस्तं बुबुधे देवः शक्रो बलनिषूदनः ।
ते च राजर्षयः सर्वे धिग्धिगित्येवमब्रुवन् ।।
विचारश्च समुत्पन्नो निरीक्ष्य नहुषात्मजम् ।
कोऽन्वयं कस्य वा राज्ञः कथं वा स्वर्गमागतः ।।
कर्मणा केनसिद्धोऽयं क्व वाऽनेन तपश्चितम्।
कथं वा ज्ञायते स्वर्गे केन वा ज्ञायतेऽप्युत ।।
एवं विचास्यन्तस्ते राजानं स्वर्गवासिनः ।
दृष्ट्वा पप्रच्छुरन्योन्यं ययातिं नृपतिं प्रति ।।
विमानपालाः शतशः स्वर्गद्वाराभिरक्षिणः ।
पृष्टा आसनपालाश्च न जानीमेत्यथाऽब्रुवन् ।।
सर्वे ते ह्यावृतज्ञाना नाभ्यजानन्त तं नृपम् ।
स मुहूर्तादथ नृपो हतौजाश्चाभवत्तदा ।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते
उद्योगपर्वणि भगवद्यानपर्वणि
विंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः ।।

English Ganguli

“Narada said, ‘King Yayati then, desirous again of disposing of his daughter in Swayamvara, went to a hermitage on the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna, taking Madhavi with him on a chariot, her person decked with garlands of flowers. And both Puru and Yadu followed their sister to that sacred asylum. And in that spot was assembled a vast concourse of Nagas and Yakshas and human beings, of Gandharvas and animals and birds, and of dwellers of mountains and trees and forests, and of many inhabitants of that particular province. And the woods all around that asylum were filled with numerous Rishis resembling Brahman himself. And while the selection had commenced of husband, that maiden of the fairest complexion, passing over all the bridegrooms there assembled, selected the forest as her lord. Descending from her chariot and saluting all her friends, the daughter of Yayati went into the forest which is always sacred, and devoted herself to ascetic austerities. Reducing her body by means of fasts of various kinds and religious rites and rigid vows, she adopted the deer’s mode of life. And subsisting upon soft and green grass-blades, resembling the sprouts of lapis lazuli and which were both bitter and sweet to the taste, and drinking the sweet, pure, cool, crystal, and very superior water of sacred mountain-streams, and wandering with the deer in forests destitute of lions and tigers, in deserts free from forest-conflagration, and in thick woods, that maiden, leading the life of a wild doe, earned great religious merit by the practice of Brahmacharya austerities.

“‘(Meanwhile) king Yayati, following the practice of kings before him, submitted to the influence of Time, after having lived for many thousands of years. The progeny of two of his sons—those foremost of men—Puru and Yadu, multiplied greatly, and in consequence thereof, Nahusha’s son won great respect both in this and the other world. O monarch, dwelling in heaven, king Yayati, resembling a great Rishi, became an object of much regard, and enjoyed the highest fruits of those regions. And after many thousands of years had passed away in great happiness, on one occasion while seated among the illustrious royal sages and great Rishis, king Yayati, from folly, ignorance, and pride, mentally disregarded all the gods and Rishis, and all human beings. Thereat the divine Sakra—the slayer of Vala—at once read his heart. And those royal sages also addressed him saying, “Fie, fie.” And beholding the son of Nahusha, the questions were asked, “Who is this person? What king’s son is he? Why is he in heaven? By what acts hath he won success? Where did he earn ascetic merit? For what hath he been known here? Who knoweth him?” The dwellers of heaven, thus speaking of that monarch, asked one another these questions about Yayati, that ruler of men. And hundreds of heaven’s charioteers, and hundreds of those that kept heaven’s gates, and of those what were in charge of heaven’s seats, thus questioned, all answered, “We do not know him.” And the minds of all were temporarily clouded, so that none recognised the king and thereupon the monarch was soon divested of his splendour.’"