Mahabharata, Book 9, Section LIIIशल्यपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 9.53.

53Sanskrit adhyāya 9.53 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

जनमेजय उवाच।
कथं कुमारी भगवंस्तपोयुक्ता ह्यभूत्पुरा।
किमर्थं च तपस्तेपे को वाऽस्या नियमोऽभवत्।।
सुदुष्करमिदं ब्रह्मंस्त्वत्तः श्रुतमनुत्तमम्।
आख्याहि तत्त्वमखिलं यथा तपसि सा स्थिता।।
वैशम्पायन उवाच।
ऋषिरासीन्महावीर्यः कुणिर्गार्ग्यो महायशाः।
स तप्त्वा विपुलं राजंस्तपो वै तपतां वरः।
तपसाऽथ सुतां सुभ्रूं समुत्पादितवान्विभुः।।
तां च दृष्ट्वा मुनिः प्रीतः कुणिर्गार्ग्यो महायशाः।
जगाम त्रिदिवं राजन्संत्यज्येह कलेवरम्।।
सुभ्रूः सा ह्यथ कल्याणी पुण्डरीकनिभेक्षणा।
महता तपसोग्रेण कृत्वाश्रममनिन्दिता।।
उपवासैः पूजयन्ती पितॄन्देवांश्च सा पुरा।
तस्यास्तु तपसोग्रेण महान्कालोऽत्यगान्नृप।।
सा पित्रा दीयमानापि पतिं नैच्छदनिन्दिता।
आत्मनः सदृशं सा तु भर्तारं नान्वपश्यत।।
ततः सा तपसोग्रेण पीडयित्वाऽऽत्मनस्तनुम्।
पितृदेवार्चनरता बभूव विजने वने।।
साऽऽत्मानं मन्यमाना तु कृतकृत्यं श्रमान्विता।
`जगाम वृद्धभावं तु कौमारब्रह्मचारिणी'।।
वार्धकेन च राजेन्द्र तपसा चैव कर्शिता।
सा नाशकद्यदा गन्तुं पदात्पदमपि स्वयम्।।
चकार गमने बुद्धिं परलोकाय वै तदा।
मोक्तुकामां तु तां दृष्ट्वा शरीरं नारदोऽब्रवीत्।।
असंस्कृतायाः कन्यायाः कुतो लोकास्तवानघे।
एवं तु श्रुतमस्माभिर्देवलोके महाव्रते।।
तपः परमकं प्राप्तं न तु लोकास्त्वया जिताः।
तन्नारदवचः श्रुत्वा साऽब्रवीदृषिसंसदि।।
तपसोऽर्धं प्रयच्छामि पाणिग्राहस्य सत्तमाः।
इत्युक्तेऽस्यास्तु जग्राह पाणिं गालवसम्भवः।।
ऋषिः प्राक् शृङ्गवान्नाम समयं चेममब्रवीत्।
समयेन तवाद्याहं पाणिं स्प्रक्ष्यामि शोभने।।
यद्येकरात्रं वस्तव्यं त्वया सह मयेति ह।
तथेति सा प्रतिश्रुत्य तस्मै पाणिं ददौ तदा।।
यथादृष्टेन विधिना हुत्वा चाग्निं विधानतः।
चक्रे च पाणिग्रहणं तस्योद्वाहं च गालविः।।
सा रात्रावभवद्राजंस्तरुणी वरवर्णिनी।
दिव्याभरणवस्त्रा च दिव्यगन्धानुलेपना।।
तां दृष्ट्वा गालविः प्रीतो दीपयन्तीमिव श्रिया।
उवास च क्षपामेकां प्रभाते साऽब्रवीच्च तम्।।
यस्त्वया समयो विप्र कृतो मे तपतां वर।
तेनोषिताऽस्मि भद्रं ते स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु व्रजाम्यहम्।।
सा तु ध्यात्वाऽब्रवीद्भूयो योऽस्मिंस्तीर्थे समाहितः।
वसते रजनीमेकां तर्पयित्वा दिवौकसः।।
चत्वारिंशतमष्टौ च द्वौ चाष्टौ सम्यगाचरेत्।
यो ब्रह्मचर्यं वर्षाणि फलं तस्य लभेत सः।।
एवमुक्त्वा ततः साध्वी देहं त्यक्त्वा दिवं गता।
ऋषिरप्यभवद्दीनस्तस्या रूपं विचिन्तयन्।।
समयेन तपोऽर्धं च कृच्छ्रात्प्रतिगृहीतवान्।
साधयित्वा तदाऽऽत्मानं तस्याः स गतिमाप्तवान्।
दुःखितो भरतश्रेष्ठ तस्या रूपबलात्कृतः।।
एतत्ते वृद्वकन्याया व्याख्यातं चरितं महत्।
तथैव ब्रह्मचर्यं च स्वर्गस्य च गतिः शुभा।।
तत्रस्थश्चापि शुश्राव हतं शल्यं हलायुधः।।
तत्रापि दत्त्वा दानानि द्विजातिभ्यः परन्तपः।
शुशोच शल्यं सङ्ग्रामे निहतं पाण्डवैस्तदा।।
समन्तपञ्चकद्वारात्ततो निष्क्रम्य माधवः।
पप्रच्छर्षिगणारामः कुरुक्षेत्रस्य यत्फलम्।।
ते पृष्टा यदुसिंहेन कुरुक्षेत्रफलं विभो
समाचख्युर्महात्मानस्तस्मै सर्वं यथातथम्।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते शल्यपर्वणि
ह्रदप्रवेशपर्वणि त्रिपञ्चाशतमोऽध्यायः।। 53 ।।

English Ganguli

"The Rishis said, 'O Rama, this Samantapanchaka is said to be the eternal northern altar of Brahman, the Lord of all creatures. There the denizens of heaven, those givers of great boons, performed in days of yore a great sacrifice. That foremost of royal sages, the high-souled Kuru, of great intelligence and immeasurable energy, had cultivated this field for many years. Hence it came to be Kurukshetra (the field of Kuru)!'

"Rama said, 'For what reason did the high-souled Kuru cultivate this field? I desire to have this narrated by you, ye Rishis possessed of wealth of penances!'

"The Rishis said, 'In days of yore, O Rama, Kuru was engaged in perseveringly tilling the soil of this field. Shakra, coming down from heaven, asked him the reason, saying, "Why O king, art thou employed (in this task) with such perseverance? What is thy purpose, O royal sage, for the accomplishment of which thou art tilling the soil?" Kuru thereupon replied, saying, "O thou of a hundred sacrifices, they that will die upon this plain shall proceed to regions of blessedness after being cleansed of their sins!" The lord Shakra, ridiculing this, went back to heaven. The royal sage Kuru, however, without being at all depressed, continued to till the soil. Shakra repeatedly came to him and repeatedly receiving the same reply went away ridiculing him. Kuru, however, did not, on that account, feel depressed. Seeing the king till the soil with unflagging perseverance, Shakra summoned the celestials and informed them of the monarch's occupation. Hearing Indra's words, the celestials said unto their chief of a 1,000 eyes, "Stop the royal sage, O Shakra by granting him a boon, if thou canst! If men, by only dying there were to come to heaven, without having performed sacrifices to us, our very existence will be endangered!" Thus exhorted, Shakra then came back to that royal sage and said, "Do not toil any more! Act according to my words! Those men that will die here, having abstained from food with all their senses awake, and those that will perish here in battle, shall, O king, come to heaven! They, O thou of great soul, shall enjoy the blessings of heaven, O monarch!" Thus addressed, king Kuru answered Shakra, saying, "So be it!" Taking Kuru's leave, the slayer of Vala, Shakra, then, with a joyful heart, quickly went back to heaven. Even thus, O foremost one of Yadu's race, that royal sage had, in days of yore, tilled this plain and Shakra had promised great merit unto those that would cast off their bodies here. Indeed, it was sanctioned by all the foremost ones, headed by Brahman, among the gods, and by the sacred Rishis, that on earth there should be no more sacred spot than this! Those men that perform austere penances here would all after casting off their bodies go to Brahman's abode. Those meritorious men, again, that would give away their wealth here would soon have their wealth doubled. They, again, that will, in expectation of good, reside constantly here, will never have to visit the region of Yama. Those kings that will perform great sacrifices here will reside as long in heaven as Earth herself will last. The chief of the celestials, Shakra, himself composed a verse here and sang it. Listen to it, O Baladeva! "The very dust of Kurukshetra, borne away by the wind, shall cleanse persons of wicked acts and bear them to heaven!" The foremost ones amongst the gods, as also those amongst the Brahmanas, and many foremost ones among the kings of the Earth such as Nriga and others, having performed costly sacrifices here, after abandoning their bodies, proceeded to heaven. The space between the Tarantuka and the Arantuka and the lakes of Rama and Shamachakra, is known as Kurukshetra. Samantapanchaka is called the northern (sacrificial) altar of Brahman, the Lord of all creatures. Auspicious and highly sacred and much regarded by the denizens of heaven is this spot that possesses all attributes. It is for this that Kshatriyas slain in battle here obtain sacred regions of eternal blessedness. Even this was said by Shakra himself about the high blessedness of Kurukshetra. All that Shakra said was again approved and sanctioned by Brahman, by Vishnu, and by Maheshvara.'"