The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 2.8: aṣṭamo'dhyāyaḥ

2.8.1

nārada uvāca |
kathayiṣye sabhāṃ divyāṃ yudhiṣṭhira nibodha tām |
vaivasvatasya yāmarthe viśvakarmā cakāra ha || 1 ||

"Narada said,--'O Yudhisthira, I shall now describe the assembly house of Yama, the son of Vivaswat, which, O son of Pritha, was built by Viswakarma. Listen now to me. Bright as burnished gold, that assembly house, O monarch, covers an area of much more than a hundred yojanas. Possessed of the splendour of the sun, it yieldeth everything that one may desire. Neither very cool nor very hot, it delighteth the heart. In that assembly house there is neither grief nor weakness of age, neither hunger nor thirst. Nothing disagreeable findeth a place there, nor any kind of evil feelings there. Every object of desire, celestial or human, is to be found in that mansion. And all kinds of enjoyable articles, as also of sweet, juicy, agreeable, and delicious edibles in profusion that are licked, sucked, and drunk, are there, O chastiser of all enemies. The floral wreaths in that mansion are of the most delicious fragrance, and the trees that stand around it yield fruits that are desired of them. There are both cold and hot waters and these are sweet and agreeable. In that mansion many royal sages of great sanctity and Brahmana sages also of great purity, cheerfully wait upon, O child, and worship Yama, the son of Vivaswat. And Yayati, Nahusha, Puru, Mandhatri, Somaka, Nriga; the royal sage Trasadasyu, Kritavirya, Sautasravas;

2.8.2

taijasī sā sabhā rājanbabhūva śatayojanā |
vistārāyāmasaṃpannā bhūyasī cāpi pāṇḍava || 2 ||

2.8.3

arkaprakāśā bhrājiṣṇuḥ sarvataḥ kāmacāriṇī |
naivātiśītā nātyuṣṇā manasaśca praharṣiṇī || 3 ||

2.8.4

na śoko na jarā tasyāṃ kṣutpipāse na cāpriyam |
na ca dainyaṃ klamo vāpi pratikūlaṃ na cāpyuta || 4 ||

2.8.5

sarve kāmāḥ sthitāstasyāṃ ye divyā ye ca mānuṣāḥ |
rasavacca prabhūtaṃ ca bhakṣyabhojyamariṃdama || 5 ||

2.8.6

puṇyagandhāḥ srajastatra nityapuṣpaphaladrumāḥ |
rasavanti ca toyāni śītānyuṣṇāni caiva ha || 6 ||

2.8.7

tasyāṃ rājarṣayaḥ puṇyāstathā brahmarṣayo'malāḥ |
yamaṃ vaivasvataṃ tāta prahṛṣṭāḥ paryupāsate || 7 ||

2.8.8

yayātirnahuṣaḥ pūrurmāndhātā somako nṛgaḥ |
trasadasyuśca turayaḥ kṛtavīryaḥ śrutaśravāḥ || 8 ||

2.8.9

aripraṇutsusiṃhaśca kṛtavegaḥ kṛtirnimiḥ |
pratardanaḥ śibirmatsyaḥ pṛthvakṣo'tha bṛhadrathaḥ || 9 ||

Arishtanemi, Siddha, Kritavega, Kriti, Nimi, Pratarddana, Sivi, Matsya, Prithulaksha, Vrihadratha, Vartta, Marutta, Kusika, Sankasya, Sankriti, Dhruva, Chaturaswa, Sadaswormi and king Kartavirya; Bharata and Suratha, Sunitha, Nisatha, Nala, Divodasa, and Sumanas, Amvarisha, Bhagiratha; Vyaswa, Vadhraswa, Prithuvega, Prithusravas, Prishadaswa, Vasumanas, Kshupa, and Sumahavala, Vrishadgu, and Vrishasena, Purukutsa, Dhwajin and Rathin; Arshtisena, Dwilipa, and the high-souled Ushinara; Ausinari, Pundarika, Saryati, Sarava, and Suchi; Anga, Rishta, Vena, Dushmanta, Srinjaya and Jaya; Bhangasuri, Sunitha, and Nishada, and Bahinara; Karandhama, Valhika, Sudymna, and the mighty Madhu; Aila and the mighty king of earth Maruta; Kapota, Trinaka, and Shadeva, and Arjuna also. Vysawa; Saswa and Krishaswa, and king Sasavindu; Rama the son of Dasaratha, and Lakshmana, and Pratarddana; Alarka, and Kakshasena, Gaya, and Gauraswa; Rama the son of Jamadagnya, Nabhaga, and Sagara; Bhuridyumna and Mahaswa, Prithaswa, and also Janaka; king Vainya, Varisena, Purujit, and Janamejaya; Brahmadatta, and Trigarta, and king Uparichara also; Indradyumna, Bhimajanu, Gauraprishta, Nala, Gaya; Padma and Machukunda, Bhuridyumna, Prasenajit; Aristanemi, Sudymna, Prithulauswa, and Ashtaka also; a hundred kings of the Matsya race and hundred of the Vipa and a hundred of the Haya races; a hundred kings of the name of Dhritarashtra, eighty kings of the name of Janamejaya;

2.8.10

aiḍo maruttaḥ kuśikaḥ sāṃkāśyaḥ sāṃkṛtirbhavaḥ |
caturaśvaḥ sadaśvormiḥ kārtavīryaśca pārthivaḥ || 10 ||

2.8.11

bharatastathā surathaḥ sunītho naiṣadho nalaḥ |
divodāso'tha sumanā ambarīṣo bhagīrathaḥ || 11 ||

2.8.12

vyaśvaḥ sadaśvo vadhryaśvaḥ pañcahastaḥ pṛthuśravāḥ |
ruṣadgurvṛṣasenaśca kṣupaśca sumahābalaḥ || 12 ||

2.8.13

ruṣadaśvo vasumanāḥ purukutso dhvajī rathī |
ārṣṭiṣeṇo dilīpaśca mahātmā cāpyuśīnaraḥ || 13 ||

2.8.14

auśīnaraḥ puṇḍarīkaḥ śaryātiḥ śarabhaḥ śuciḥ |
aṅgo'riṣṭaśca venaśca duḥṣantaḥ saṃjayo jayaḥ || 14 ||

2.8.15

bhāṅgāsvariḥ sunīthaśca niṣadho'tha tviṣīrathaḥ |
karaṃdhamo bāhlikaśca sudyumno balavānmadhuḥ || 15 ||

2.8.16

kapotaromā tṛṇakaḥ sahadevārjunau tathā |
rāmo dāśarathiścaiva lakṣmaṇo'tha pratardanaḥ || 16 ||

2.8.17

alarkaḥ kakṣasenaśca gayo gaurāśva eva ca |
jāmadagnyo'tha rāmo'tra nābhāgasagarau tathā || 17 ||

2.8.18

bhūridyumno mahāśvaśca pṛthvaśvo janakastathā |
vainyo rājā vāriṣeṇaḥ purujo janamejayaḥ || 18 ||

2.8.19

brahmadattastrigartaśca rājoparicarastathā |
indradyumno bhīmajānurgayaḥ pṛṣṭho nayo'naghaḥ || 19 ||

2.8.20

padmo'tha mucukundaśca bhūridyumnaḥ prasenajit |
ariṣṭanemiḥ pradyumnaḥ pṛthagaśvo'jakastathā || 20 ||

2.8.21

śataṃ matsyā nṛpatayaḥ śataṃ nīpāḥ śataṃ hayāḥ |
dhṛtarāṣṭrāścaikaśatamaśītirjanamejayāḥ || 21 ||

2.8.22

śataṃ ca brahmadattānāmīriṇāṃ vairiṇāṃ śatam |
śaṃtanuścaiva rājarṣiḥ pāṇḍuścaiva pitā tava || 22 ||

a hundred monarchs called Brahmadatta, and a hundred kings of the name of Iri; more than two hundred Bhishmas, and also a hundred Bhimas; a hundred Prativindhyas, a hundred Nagas, and a hundred Palasas, and a hundred called Kasa and Kusa; that king of kings Santanu, and thy father Pandu, Usangava, Sata-ratha, Devaraja, Jayadratha; the intelligent royal sage Vrishadarva with his ministers; and a thousand other kings known by the name of Sasa-vindu, and who have died, having performed many grand horse-sacrifices with large presents to the Brahmanas--these holy royal sages of grand achievements and great knowledge of the Sastras, wait upon, O King, and worship the son of Vivaswat in that assembly house. And Agastya and Matanga, and Kala, and Mrityu (Death), performers of sacrifices, the Siddhas, and many Yogins; the Prtris (belonging to the classes--called Agniswattas, Fenapa, Ushampa, Swadhavat, and Verhishada), as also those others that have forms; the wheel of time, and the illustrious conveyer himself of the sacrificial butter; all sinners among human beings, as also those that have died during the winter solstice; these officers of Yama who have been appointed to count the allotted days of everybody and everything; the Singsapa, Palasa, Kasa, and Kusa trees and plants, in their embodied forms, these all, O king, wait upon and worship the god of justice in that assembly house of his. These and many others are present at the Sabha of the king of the Pitris (manes).

2.8.23

uśadgavaḥ śataratho devarājo jayadrathaḥ |
vṛṣādarbhiśca rājarṣirdhāmnā saha samantriṇā || 23 ||

2.8.24

athāpare sahasrāṇi ye gatāḥ śaśabindavaḥ |
iṣṭvāśvamedhairbahubhirmahadbhirbhūridakṣiṇaiḥ || 24 ||

2.8.25

ete rājarṣayaḥ puṇyāḥ kīrtimanto bahuśrutāḥ |
tasyāṃ sabhāyāṃ rājarṣe vaivasvatamupāsate || 25 ||

2.8.26

agastyo'tha mataṅgaśca kālo mṛtyustathaiva ca |
yajvānaścaiva siddhāśca ye ca yogaśarīriṇaḥ || 26 ||

2.8.27

agniṣvāttāśca pitaraḥ phenapāścoṣmapāśca ye |
svadhāvanto barhiṣado mūrtimantastathāpare || 27 ||

2.8.28

kālacakraṃ ca sākṣācca bhagavānhavyavāhanaḥ |
narā duṣkṛtakarmāṇo dakṣiṇāyanamṛtyavaḥ || 28 ||

2.8.29

kālasya nayane yuktā yamasya puruṣāśca ye |
tasyāṃ śiṃśapapālāśāstathā kāśakuśādayaḥ |
upāsate dharmarājaṃ mūrtimanto nirāmayāḥ || 29 ||

2.8.30

ete cānye ca bahavaḥ pitṛrājasabhāsadaḥ |
aśakyāḥ parisaṃkhyātuṃ nāmabhiḥ karmabhistathā || 30 ||

So numerous are they that I am incapable of describing them either by mentioning their names or deeds. O son of Pritha, the delightful assembly house, moving everywhere at the will of its owner, is of wide extent. It was built by Viswakarma after a long course of ascetic penances. And, O Bharata, resplendent with his own effulgence, it stands glorified in all its beauty. Sannyasis of severe ascetic penance, of excellent vows, and of truthful speech, peaceful and pure and sanctified by holy deeds, of shining bodies and attired in spotless robes, decked with bracelets and floral garlands, with ear-rings of burnished gold, and adorned with their own holy acts as with the marks of their order (painted over their bodies), constantly visit that Sabha (Assembly). Many illustrious Gandharvas, and many Apsaras fill every part of that mansion with music; both instrumental and vocal and with sounds of laughter and dance. And, O son of Pritha, excellent perfumes, and sweet sounds and garlands of celestial flowers always contribute towards making that mansion supremely blest. And hundreds of thousands of virtuous persons, of celestial beauty and great wisdom, always wait upon and worship the illustrious Yama, the lord of created beings in that assembly house. Such, O monarch, is the Sabha, of the illustrious king of the Pitris! I shall now describe unto the assembly house of Varuna also called Pushkaramalini!"

2.8.31

asaṃbādhā hi sā pārtha ramyā kāmagamā sabhā |
dīrghakālaṃ tapastaptvā nirmitā viśvakarmaṇā || 31 ||

2.8.32

prabhāsantī jvalantīva tejasā svena bhārata |
tāmugratapaso yānti suvratāḥ satyavādinaḥ || 32 ||

2.8.33

śāntāḥ saṃnyāsinaḥ siddhāḥ pūtāḥ puṇyena karmaṇā |
sarve bhāsvaradehāśca sarve ca virajombarāḥ || 33 ||

2.8.34

citrāṅgadāścitramālyāḥ sarve jvalitakuṇḍalāḥ |
sukṛtaiḥ karmabhiḥ puṇyaiḥ paribarhairvibhūṣitāḥ || 34 ||

2.8.35

gandharvāśca mahātmānaḥ śataśaścāpsarogaṇāḥ |
vāditraṃ nṛttagītaṃ ca hāsyaṃ lāsyaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ || 35 ||

2.8.36

puṇyāśca gandhāḥ śabdāśca tasyāṃ pārtha samantataḥ |
divyāni mālyāni ca tāmupatiṣṭhanti sarvaśaḥ || 36 ||

2.8.37

śataṃ śatasahasrāṇi dharmiṇāṃ taṃ prajeśvaram |
upāsate mahātmānaṃ rūpayuktā manasvinaḥ || 37 ||

2.8.38

īdṛśī sā sabhā rājanpitṛrājño mahātmanaḥ |
varuṇasyāpi vakṣyāmi sabhāṃ puṣkaramālinīm || 38 ||