Mahabharata 17.3: tṛtīyo'dhyāyaḥ

17.3.1

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
tataḥ saṃnādayañśakro divaṃ bhūmiṃ ca sarvaśaḥ |
rathenopayayau pārthamārohetyabravīcca tam || 1 ||

Vaishampayana said: "Then Shakra, causing the firmament and the Earth to be filled by a loud sound, came to the son of Pritha on a car and asked him to ascend it. Beholding his brothers fallen on the Earth, king Yudhishthira the just said unto that deity of a 1,000 eyes these words: ‘My brothers have all dropped down here. They must go with me. Without them by me I do not wish to go to Heaven, O lord of all the deities. The delicate princess (Draupadi) deserving of every comfort, O Purandara, should go with us. It behoveth thee to permit this.’

17.3.2

sa bhrātṝnpatitāndṛṣṭvā dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
abravīcchokasaṃtaptaḥ sahasrākṣamidaṃ vacaḥ || 2 ||

17.3.3

bhrātaraḥ patitā me'tra āgaccheyurmayā saha |
na vinā bhrātṛbhiḥ svargamicche gantuṃ sureśvara || 3 ||

17.3.4

sukumārī sukhārhā ca rājaputrī puraṃdara |
sāsmābhiḥ saha gaccheta tadbhavānanumanyatām || 4 ||

17.3.5

indra uvāca |
bhrātṝndrakṣyasi putrāṃstvamagratastridivaṃ gatān |
kṛṣṇayā sahitānsarvānmā śuco bharatarṣabha || 5 ||

"Shakra said, ‘Thou shalt behold thy brothers in Heaven. They have reached it before thee. Indeed, thou shalt see all of them there, with Krishna. Do not yield to grief, O chief of the Bharatas. Having cast off their human bodies they have gone there, O chief of Bharata’s race. As regards thee, it is ordained that thou shalt go thither in this very body of thine.’

17.3.6

nikṣipya mānuṣaṃ dehaṃ gatāste bharatarṣabha |
anena tvaṃ śarīreṇa svargaṃ gantā na saṃśayaḥ || 6 ||

17.3.7

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
ayaṃ śvā bhūtabhavyeśa bhakto māṃ nityameva ha |
sa gaccheta mayā sārdhamānṛśaṃsyā hi me matiḥ || 7 ||

"Yudhishthira said, ‘This dog, O lord of the Past and the Present, is exceedingly devoted to me. He should go with me. My heart is full of compassion for him.’

17.3.8

indra uvāca |
amartyatvaṃ matsamatvaṃ ca rājañśriyaṃ kṛtsnāṃ mahatīṃ caiva kīrtim |
saṃprāpto'dya svargasukhāni ca tvaṃ tyaja śvānaṃ nātra nṛśaṃsamasti || 8 ||

"Shakra said, ‘Immortality and a condition equal to mine, O king, prosperity extending in all directions, and high success, and all the felicities of Heaven, thou hast won today. Do thou cast off this dog. In this there will be no cruelty.’

17.3.9

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
anāryamāryeṇa sahasranetra śakyaṃ kartuṃ duṣkarametadārya |
mā me śriyā saṃgamanaṃ tayāstu yasyāḥ kṛte bhaktajanaṃ tyajeyam || 9 ||

"Yudhishthira said, ‘O thou of a 1,000 eyes. O thou that art of righteous behaviour, it is exceedingly difficult for one that is of righteous behaviour to perpetrate an act that is unrighteous. I do not desire that union with prosperity for which I shall have to cast off one that is devoted to me.’

17.3.10

indra uvāca |
svarge loke śvavatāṃ nāsti dhiṣṇyamiṣṭāpūrtaṃ krodhavaśā haranti |
tato vicārya kriyatāṃ dharmarāja tyaja śvānaṃ nātra nṛśaṃsamasti || 10 ||

"Indra said, ‘There is no place in Heaven for persons with dogs. Besides, the (deities called) Krodhavasas take away all the merits of such persons. Reflecting on this, act, O king Yudhishthira the just. Do thou abandon this dog. There is no cruelty in this.’

17.3.11

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
bhaktatyāgaṃ prāhuratyantapāpaṃ tulyaṃ loke brahmavadhyākṛtena |
tasmānnāhaṃ jātu kathaṃcanādya tyakṣyāmyenaṃ svasukhārthī mahendra || 11 ||

"Yudhishthira said, ‘It has been said that the abandonment of one that is devoted is infinitely sinful. It is equal to the sin that one incurs by slaying a Brahmana. Hence, O great Indra, I shall not abandon this dog today from desire of my happiness. Even this is my vow steadily pursued, that I never give up a person that is terrified, nor one that is devoted to me, nor one that seeks my protection, saying that he is destitute, nor one that is afflicted, nor one that has come to me, nor one that is weak in protecting oneself, nor one that is solicitous of life. I shall never give up such a one till my own life is at an end.’

17.3.12

indra uvāca |
śunā dṛṣṭaṃ krodhavaśā haranti yaddattamiṣṭaṃ vivṛtamatho hutaṃ ca |
tasmācchunastyāgamimaṃ kuruṣva śunastyāgātprāpsyase devalokam || 12 ||

"Indra said, ‘Whatever gifts, or sacrifices spread out, or libations poured on the sacred fire, are seen by a dog, are taken away by the Krodhavasas. Do thou, therefore, abandon this dog. By abandoning this dog thou wilt attain to the region of the deities. Having abandoned thy brothers and Krishna, thou hast, O hero, acquired a region of felicity by thy own deeds. Why art thou so stupefied? Thou hast renounced everything. Why then dost thou not renounce this dog?’ "Yudhishthira said, ‘This is well known in all the worlds that there is neither friendship nor enmity with those that are dead. When my brothers and Krishna died, I was unable to revive them. Hence it was that I abandoned them. I did not, however, abandon them as long as they were alive. To frighten one that has sought protection, the slaying of a woman, the theft of what belongs to a Brahmana, and injuring a friend, each of these four, O Shakra, is I think equal to the abandonment of one that is devoted.’"

17.3.13

tyaktvā bhrātṝndayitāṃ cāpi kṛṣṇāṃ prāpto lokaḥ karmaṇā svena vīra |
śvānaṃ cainaṃ na tyajase kathaṃ nu tyāgaṃ kṛtsnaṃ cāsthito muhyase'dya || 13 ||

17.3.14

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
na vidyate saṃdhirathāpi vigraho mṛtairmartyairiti lokeṣu niṣṭhā |
na te mayā jīvayituṃ hi śakyā tasmāttyāgasteṣu kṛto na jīvatām || 14 ||

17.3.15

pratipradānaṃ śaraṇāgatasya striyā vadho brāhmaṇasvāpahāraḥ |
mitradrohastāni catvāri śakra bhaktatyāgaścaiva samo mato me || 15 ||

17.3.16

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
taddharmarājasya vaco niśamya dharmasvarūpī bhagavānuvāca |
yudhiṣṭhiraṃ prītiyukto narendraṃ ślakṣṇairvākyaiḥ saṃstavasaṃprayuktaiḥ || 16 ||

Vaishampayana continued: "Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira the just, (the dog became transformed into) the deity of Righteousness, who, well pleased, said these words unto him in a sweet voice fraught with praise.

17.3.17

abhijāto'si rājendra piturvṛttena medhayā |
anukrośena cānena sarvabhūteṣu bhārata || 17 ||

"Dharma said: ‘Thou art well born, O king of kings, and possessed of the intelligence and the good conduct of Pandu. Thou hast compassion for all creatures, O Bharata, of which this is a bright example. Formerly, O son, thou wert once examined by me in the woods of Dwaita, where thy brothers of great prowess met with (an appearance of) death. Disregarding both thy brothers Bhima and Arjuna, thou didst wish for the revival of Nakula from thy desire of doing good to thy (step-) mother. On the present occasion, thinking the dog to be devoted to thee, thou hast renounced the very car of the celestials instead of renouncing him. Hence. O king, there is no one in Heaven that is equal to thee. Hence, O Bharata, regions of inexhaustible felicity are thine. Thou hast won them, O chief of the Bharatas, and thine is a celestial and high goal.’"

17.3.18

purā dvaitavane cāsi mayā putra parīkṣitaḥ |
pānīyārthe parākrāntā yatra te bhrātaro hatāḥ || 18 ||

17.3.19

bhīmārjunau parityajya yatra tvaṃ bhrātarāvubhau |
mātroḥ sāmyamabhīpsanvai nakulaṃ jīvamicchasi || 19 ||

17.3.20

ayaṃ śvā bhakta ityeva tyakto devarathastvayā |
tasmātsvarge na te tulyaḥ kaścidasti narādhipa || 20 ||

17.3.21

atastavākṣayā lokāḥ svaśarīreṇa bhārata |
prāpto'si bharataśreṣṭha divyāṃ gatimanuttamām || 21 ||

17.3.22

tato dharmaśca śakraśca marutaścāśvināvapi |
devā devarṣayaścaiva rathamāropya pāṇḍavam || 22 ||

Vaishampayana continued: "Then Dharma, and Shakra, and the Maruts, and the Ashvinis, and other deities, and the celestial Rishis, causing Yudhishthira to ascend on a car, proceeded to Heaven. Those beings crowned with success and capable of going everywhere at will, rode their respective cars. King Yudhishthira, that perpetuator of Kuru’s race, riding on that car, ascended quickly, causing the entire welkin to blaze with his effulgence. Then Narada, that foremost of all speakers, endued with penances, and conversant with all the worlds, from amidst that concourse of deities, said these words: ‘All those royal sages that are here have their achievements transcended by those of Yudhishthira. Covering all the worlds by his fame and splendour and by his wealth of conduct, he has attained to Heaven in his own (human) body. None else than the son of Pandu has been heard to achieve this.’

17.3.23

prayayuḥ svairvimānaiste siddhāḥ kāmavihāriṇaḥ |
sarve virajasaḥ puṇyāḥ puṇyavāgbuddhikarmiṇaḥ || 23 ||

17.3.24

sa taṃ rathaṃ samāsthāya rājā kurukulodvahaḥ |
ūrdhvamācakrame śīghraṃ tejasāvṛtya rodasī || 24 ||

17.3.25

tato devanikāyastho nāradaḥ sarvalokavit |
uvācoccaistadā vākyaṃ bṛhadvādī bṛhattapāḥ || 25 ||

17.3.26

ye'pi rājarṣayaḥ sarve te cāpi samupasthitāḥ |
kīrtiṃ pracchādya teṣāṃ vai kururājo'dhitiṣṭhati || 26 ||

17.3.27

lokānāvṛtya yaśasā tejasā vṛttasaṃpadā |
svaśarīreṇa saṃprāptaṃ nānyaṃ śuśruma pāṇḍavāt || 27 ||

17.3.28

nāradasya vacaḥ śrutvā rājā vacanamabravīt |
devānāmantrya dharmātmā svapakṣāṃścaiva pārthivān || 28 ||

"Hearing these words of Narada, the righteous-souled king, saluting the deities and all the royal sages there present, said, ‘Happy or miserable, whatever the region be that is now my brothers’, I desire to proceed to. I do not wish to go anywhere else.’

17.3.29

śubhaṃ vā yadi vā pāpaṃ bhrātṝṇāṃ sthānamadya me |
tadeva prāptumicchāmi lokānanyānna kāmaye || 29 ||

17.3.30

rājñastu vacanaṃ śrutvā devarājaḥ puraṃdaraḥ |
ānṛśaṃsyasamāyuktaṃ pratyuvāca yudhiṣṭhiram || 30 ||

"Hearing this speech of the king, the chief of the deities, Purandara, said these words fraught with noble sense: ‘Do thou live in this place, O king of kings, which thou hast won by thy meritorious deeds. Why dost thou still cherish human affections? Thou hast attained to great success, the like of which no other man has ever been able to attain. Thy brothers, O delighter of the Kurus, have succeeded in winning regions of felicity. Human affections still touch thee. This is Heaven. Behold these celestial Rishis and Siddhas who have attained to the region of the gods.’

17.3.31

sthāne'sminvasa rājendra karmabhirnirjite śubhaiḥ |
kiṃ tvaṃ mānuṣyakaṃ snehamadyāpi parikarṣasi || 31 ||

17.3.32

siddhiṃ prāpto'si paramāṃ yathā nānyaḥ pumānkvacit |
naiva te bhrātaraḥ sthānaṃ saṃprāptāḥ kurunandana || 32 ||

17.3.33

adyāpi mānuṣo bhāvaḥ spṛśate tvāṃ narādhipa |
svargo'yaṃ paśya devarṣīnsiddhāṃśca tridivālayān || 33 ||

17.3.34

yudhiṣṭhirastu devendramevaṃvādinamīśvaram |
punarevābravīddhīmānidaṃ vacanamarthavat || 34 ||

"Gifted with great intelligence, Yudhishthira answered the chief of the deities once more, saying, ‘O conqueror of Daityas, I venture not to dwell anywhere separated from them. I desire to go there, where my brothers have gone. I wish to go there where that foremost of women, Draupadi, of ample proportions and darkish complexion and endued with great intelligence and righteous of conduct, has gone.’"

17.3.35

tairvinā notsahe vastumiha daityanibarhaṇa |
gantumicchāmi tatrāhaṃ yatra me bhrātaro gatāḥ || 35 ||

17.3.36

yatra sā bṛhatī śyāmā buddhisattvaguṇānvitā |
draupadī yoṣitāṃ śreṣṭhā yatra caiva priyā mama || 36 ||