Mahabharata, Book 5, Section XCVIIउद्योगपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 5.97.

97Sanskrit adhyāya 5.97 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

वैशंपायन उवाच।
जामदग्न्यवचः श्रुत्वा कण्वेऽपि भगवानृषिः ।
दुर्योधनमिदं वाक्यमब्रवीत्कुरुसंसदि ।।
कण्व उवाच।
अक्षयश्चाव्ययश्चैव ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः।
तथैव भगवन्तौ तौ नरनारायणावृषी ।।
आदित्यानां हि सर्वेषां विष्णुरेकः सनातनः।
अजथ्यश्चाव्ययश्चैव शाश्वतः प्रभुरीश्वरः ।।
निमित्तमरणाश्चान्ये चन्द्रसूर्यौ मही जलम् ।
वायुरग्निस्तथाऽऽकाशं ग्रहास्तारागणास्तथा ।।
ते च क्षयान्ते जगतो हित्वा लोकत्रयं सदा।
क्षयं गच्छन्ति वै सर्वे सृज्यन्ते च पुनः पुनः ।।
मुहूर्तमरणास्त्वन्ये मानुषा मूगपक्षिणः।
तैर्यग्योन्याश्च ये चान्ये जीवलोकचरास्तथा ।।
भूयिष्ठेन तु राजानः श्रियं भुक्त्वाऽऽयुषः क्षये।
तरुणाः प्रतिपद्यन्ते भोक्तुं सुकृतदुष्कृते ।।
स भवान्धर्मपुत्रेण शमं कर्तुमिहार्हसि ।
पाण्डवाः कुरवश्चैव पालयन्तु वसुन्धरान् ।।
बलवानहमित्येव न मन्तव्यं सुयोधन ।
बलवन्तो बलिभ्यो हि दृश्यन्ते पूरुषर्षभ ।।
न बलं बलिनां मध्ये बलं भवति कौरव ।
बलवन्तो हि ते सर्वे पाण्डवा देवविक्रमाः ।
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् ।
मातलेर्दातुकामस्य कन्यां मृगयतो वरम् ।।
मतस्त्रिलोकराजस्य मातलिर्नाम सारथिः।
तस्यैकैव कुले मन्या रूपतो लोकविश्रुता ।।
गुणकेशीति विख्याता नाम्ना सा देवरूपिणी ।
श्रिया च वपुषा चैव स्त्रियोऽन्याःसाऽतिरिच्यते ।।
तस्याः प्रदानसमयं मातलिः सह भार्यया ।
ज्ञात्वा विममृशे राजंस्तत्परः परिचिन्तयन् ।।
धिक्खल्वलघुशीलानामुच्छ्रितानां यशस्विनाम्।
नराणां मृदुसत्वानां कुले कन्याप्ररोहणम् ।।
मातुः कुलं पितृकुलं यत्र चैव प्रदीयते।
कुलत्रयं संशयितं कुरुते कन्यका सताम् ।।
देवमानुषलोकौ द्वौ मानुषेणैव चक्षुषा।
अपगाह्यैव विचितौ न च मे रोचते वरः ।।
कण्व उवाच।
न देवान्नैव दितिजान्न गन्धर्वान्न मानुषान्।
अरोचयद्वरकृते तथैव बहुलानृषीन् ।।
भार्यया तु स संमन्त्र्य सह रात्रौ सुधर्मया ।
मातलिर्नागलोकाय चकार गमने मतिम् ।।
न मे देवमनुष्येषु गुणकेश्याः समो वरः।
रूपतो दृश्यते कश्चिन्नागेषु भविता ध्रुवम् ।।
इत्यामन्त्र्य सुधर्मां स कृत्वा चाभिप्रदक्षिणम्।
कन्यां शिरस्युपाघ्राय प्रविवेश महीतलम् ।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि
भगवद्यानपर्वणि सप्तनवतितमोऽध्यायः ।।

English Ganguli

Vaisampayana said, “Having listened to the words of Jamadagnya, the illustrious Rishi Kanwa also said these words unto Duryodhana in that assembly of the Kurus."

“Kanwa said, ‘Brahman, the Grandsire of the universe, is indestructible and eternal. Those illustrious Rishis, Nara and Narayana, are of the same character. Of all the sons of Aditi, Vishnu alone is eternal. He alone is unconquerable and indestructible, existing for ever, the Lord of all, and the possessor of divine attributes. All others, such as the sun and the moon, earth and water, wind, fire and firmament, planets, and stars, are liable to destruction. All these, when the end of the universe cometh, take leave of the three worlds. They are destroyed and created again and again. Others also, such as men and animals and birds, and creatures belonging to other orders of living existence,—indeed, all that move on this world of men,—are endued with short lives. And as regards kings, all of them, having enjoyed great prosperity, reach, at last, the hour of destruction and are reborn in order to enjoy the fruits of good and evil deeds. It behoveth thee then to make peace with Yudhishthira. Let the Pandavas and the Kauravas both rule this earth. O Suyodhana, one should not think in this way, viz., I am strong!—for O bull among men, it is seen that there are persons stronger than those generally regarded strong. O son of Kuru’s race, physical strength is scarcely regarded as strength by those that are really strong. As regards the Pandavas, endued as they all are with prowess equal to that of the celestials, they are also regarded as strong. In this connection is cited an old story, as an example, the story, viz., of Matali searching for a bridegroom upon whom to bestow his daughter. The king of the three worlds (Indra) had a charioteer, named Matali, whom he dearly loved. Unto him was born a daughter celebrated over the world for beauty. Endued with the celestial beauty, that daughter of Matali was known by the name of Gunakesi. And, indeed, in both loveliness and symmetry of bodily figure, she far excelled other members of her sex. Knowing that the time for giving her away had come, Matali with his wife became very anxious, thinking, O monarch, of what he was to do next. And he thought within himself, “Alas, the birth of a daughter in the families of those that are well-behaved and high-born and possess reputation and humility of character, is always attended with evil results. Daughters, when born in respectable families, always endanger the honour of three families, viz., their maternal and paternal families and the family into which they are adopted by marriage. Glancing in my mind’s eye the worlds of gods and men, I have searched both, but no eligible bridegroom have I found.”’

“Kanwa continued, ‘And it so happened that amongst the gods, the Daityas and Gandharvas, men and numerous Rishis, none was regarded by Matali as an eligible husband for his daughter. And having held a consultation then in the night with his wife Sudharma, Matali set his heart upon making a journey to the world of the Nagas. And he thought within himself, “Amongst both gods and men I have not found a husband fit, in respect of beauty, for my Gunakesi. Surely, one may be found amongst the Nagas.” And saying this, he took his wife’s leave and sniffing the head of his daughter, Matali entered the nether regions.’"