Mahabharata 1.9: atha navamo'dhyāyaḥ

1.9.1

sūta uvāca |
teṣu tatropaviṣṭeṣu brāhmaṇeṣu samantataḥ |
ruruścukrośa gahanaṃ vanaṃ gatvā suduḥkhitaḥ || 1 ||

"Sauti said, 'While those illustrious Brahmanas were sitting around the dead body of Pramadvara, Ruru, sorely afflicted, retired into a deep wood and wept aloud. And overwhelmed with grief he indulged in much piteous lamentation. And, remembering his beloved Pramadvara, he gave vent to his sorrow in the following words, 'Alas! The delicate fair one that increaseth my affliction lieth upon the bare ground. What can be more deplorable to us, her friends? If I have been charitable, if I have performed acts of penance, if I have ever revered my superiors, let the merit of these arts restore to life my beloved one! If from my birth I have been controlling my passions, adhered to my vows, let the fair Pramadvara rise from the ground.

1.9.2

śokenābhihataḥ so'tha vilapankaruṇaṃ bahu |
abravīdvacanaṃ śocanpriyāṃ cintya pramadvarām || 2 ||

1.9.3

śete sā bhuvi tanvaṅgī mama śokavivardhinī |
bāndhavānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ kiṃ nu duḥkhamataḥ param || 3 ||

1.9.4

yadi dattaṃ tapastaptaṃ guravo vā mayā yadi |
samyagārādhitāstena saṃjīvatu mama priyā || 4 ||

1.9.5

yathā janmaprabhṛti vai yatātmāhaṃ dhṛtavrataḥ |
pramadvarā tathādyaiva samuttiṣṭhatu bhāminī || 5 ||

1.9.6

devadūta uvāca |
abhidhatse ha yadvācā ruro duḥkhena tanmṛṣā |
na tu martyasya dharmātmannāyurasti gatāyuṣaḥ || 6 ||

"And while Ruru was indulging in these lamentations for the loss of his bride, a messenger from heaven came to him in the forest and addressed him thus, 'The words thou utterest, O Ruru, in thy affliction are certainly ineffectual. For, O pious man, one belonging to this world whose days have run out can never come back to life. This poor child of a Gandharva and Apsara has had her days run out! Therefore, O child, thou shouldst not consign thy heart to sorrow. The great gods, however, have provided beforehand a means of her restoration to life. And if thou compliest with it, thou mayest receive back thy Pramadvara.'

1.9.7

gatāyureṣā kṛpaṇā gandharvāpsarasoḥ sutā |
tasmācchoke manastāta mā kṛthāstvaṃ kathaṃcana || 7 ||

1.9.8

upāyaścātra vihitaḥ pūrvaṃ devairmahātmabhiḥ |
taṃ yadīcchasi kartuṃ tvaṃ prāpsyasīmāṃ pramadvarām || 8 ||

1.9.9

rururuvāca |
ka upāyaḥ kṛto devairbrūhi tattvena khecara |
kariṣye taṃ tathā śrutvā trātumarhati māṃ bhavān || 9 ||

"And Ruru replied, O messenger of heaven! What is that which the gods have ordained. Tell me in full so that (on hearing) I may comply with it. It behoveth thee to deliver me from grief!' And the celestial messenger said unto Ruru, 'Resign half of thy own life to thy bride, and then, O Ruru of the race of Bhrigu, thy Pramadvara shall rise from the ground.' 'O best of celestial messengers, I most willingly offer a moiety of my own life in favour of my bride. Then let my beloved one rise up once more in her dress and lovable form.'

1.9.10

devadūta uvāca |
āyuṣo'rdhaṃ prayacchasva kanyāyai bhṛgunandana |
evamutthāsyati ruro tava bhāryā pramadvarā || 10 ||

1.9.11

rururuvāca |
āyuṣo'rdhaṃ prayacchāmi kanyāyai khecarottama |
śṛṅgārarūpābharaṇā uttiṣṭhatu mama priyā || 11 ||

1.9.12

sūta uvāca |
tato gandharvarājaśca devadūtaśca sattamau |
dharmarājamupetyedaṃ vacanaṃ pratyabhāṣatām || 12 ||

"Sauti said, 'Then the king of Gandharvas (the father of Pramadvara) and the celestial messenger, both of excellent qualities, went to the god Dharma (the Judge of the dead) and addressed him, saying, 'If it be thy will, O Dharmaraja, let the amiable Pramadvara, the betrothed wife of Ruru, now lying dead, rise up with a moiety of Ruru's life.' And Dharmaraja answered, 'O messenger of the gods, if it be thy wish, let Pramadvara, the betrothed wife of Ruru, rise up endued with a moiety of Ruru's life.'

1.9.13

dharmarājāyuṣo'rdhena rurorbhāryā pramadvarā |
samuttiṣṭhatu kalyāṇī mṛtaiva yadi manyase || 13 ||

1.9.14

dharmarāja uvāca |
pramadvarā rurorbhāryā devadūta yadīcchasi |
uttiṣṭhatvāyuṣo'rdhena ruroreva samanvitā || 14 ||

1.9.15

sūta uvāca |
evamukte tataḥ kanyā sodatiṣṭhatpramadvarā |
rurostasyāyuṣo'rdhena supteva varavarṇinī || 15 ||

"Sauti continued, 'And when Dharmaraja had said so, that maiden of superior complexion, Pramadvara, endued with a moiety of Ruru's life, rose as from her slumber. This bestowal by Ruru of a moiety of his own span of life to resuscitate his bride afterwards led, as it would be seen, to a curtailment of Ruru's life.

1.9.16

etaddṛṣṭaṃ bhaviṣye hi ruroruttamatejasaḥ |
āyuṣo'tipravṛddhasya bhāryārthe'rdhaṃ hrasatviti || 16 ||

1.9.17

tata iṣṭe'hani tayoḥ pitarau cakraturmudā |
vivāhaṃ tau ca remāte parasparahitaiṣiṇau || 17 ||

"And on an auspicious day their fathers gladly married them with due rites. And the couple passed their days, devoted to each other. And Ruru having obtained such a wife, as is hard to be found, beautiful and bright as the filaments of the lotus, made a vow for the destruction of the serpent-race. And whenever he saw a serpent he became filled with great wrath and always killed it with a weapon.

1.9.18

sa labdhvā durlabhāṃ bhāryāṃ padmakiñjalkasaprabhām |
vrataṃ cakre vināśāya jihmagānāṃ dhṛtavrataḥ || 18 ||

1.9.19

sa dṛṣṭvā jihmagānsarvāṃstīvrakopasamanvitaḥ |
abhihanti yathāsannaṃ gṛhya praharaṇaṃ sadā || 19 ||

1.9.20

sa kadācidvanaṃ vipro rururabhyāgamanmahat |
śayānaṃ tatra cāpaśyaḍḍuṇḍubhaṃ vayasānvitam || 20 ||

"One day, O Brahmana, Ruru entered an extensive forest. And there he saw an old serpent of the Dundubha species lying stretched on the ground. And Ruru thereupon lifted up in anger his staff, even like to the staff of Death, for the purpose of killing it. Then the Dundubha, addressing Ruru, said, 'I have done thee no harm, O Brahmana! Then wherefore wilt thou slay me in anger?'"

1.9.21

tata udyamya daṇḍaṃ sa kāladaṇḍopamaṃ tadā |
abhyaghnadruṣito viprastamuvācātha ḍuṇḍubhaḥ || 21 ||

1.9.22

nāparādhyāmi te kiṃcidahamadya tapodhana |
saṃrambhāttatkimarthaṃ māmabhihaṃsi ruṣānvitaḥ || 22 ||