Mahabharata 2.1: atha prathamo'dhyāyaḥ

2.1.1

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
tato'bravīnmayaḥ pārthaṃ vāsudevasya saṃnidhau |
prāñjaliḥ ślakṣṇayā vācā pūjayitvā punaḥ punaḥ || 1 ||

"Vaisampayana said,--"Then, in the presence of Vasudeva, Maya Danava, having worshipped Arjuna, repeatedly spoke unto him with joined hands and in amiable words,--'O son of Kunti, saved have I been by thee from this Krishna in spate and from Pavaka (fire) desirous of consuming me. Tell me what I have to do for thee.

2.1.2

asmācca kṛṣṇātsaṃkruddhātpāvakācca didhakṣataḥ |
tvayā trāto'smi kaunteya brūhi kiṃ karavāṇi te || 2 ||

2.1.3

arjuna uvāca |
kṛtameva tvayā sarvaṃ svasti gaccha mahāsura |
prītimānbhava me nityaṃ prītimanto vayaṃ ca te || 3 ||

"Arjuna said,--'O great Asura, everything hath already been done by thee (even by this offer of thine). Blest be thou. Go whithersoever thou likest. Be kind and well-disposed towards me, as we are even kind to and well-pleased with thee!'

2.1.4

maya uvāca |
yuktametattvayi vibho yathāttha puruṣarṣabha |
prītipūrvamahaṃ kiṃcitkartumicchāmi bhārata || 4 ||

"Maya said,--'O bull amongst men, what thou hast said is worthy of thee, O exalted one. But O Bharata, I desire to do something for thee cheerfully. I am a great artist, a Viswakarma among the Danavas. O son of Pandu, being what I am, I desire to do something for thee.'

2.1.5

ahaṃ hi viśvakarmā vai dānavānāṃ mahākaviḥ |
so'haṃ vai tvatkṛte kiṃcitkartumicchāmi pāṇḍava || 5 ||

2.1.6

arjuna uvāca |
prāṇakṛcchrādvimuktaṃ tvamātmānaṃ manyase mayā |
evaṃ gate na śakṣyāmi kiṃcitkārayituṃ tvayā || 6 ||

"Arjuna said,--'O sinless one, thou regardest thyself as saved (by me) from imminent death. Even if it hath been so, I cannot make thee do anything for me. At the same time, O Danava, I do not wish to frustrate thy intentions. Do thou something for Krishna. That will be a sufficient requital for my services to thee.'

2.1.7

na cāpi tava saṃkalpaṃ moghamicchāmi dānava |
kṛṣṇasya kriyatāṃ kiṃcittathā pratikṛtaṃ mayi || 7 ||

2.1.8

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
codito vāsudevastu mayena bharatarṣabha |
muhūrtamiva saṃdadhyau kimayaṃ codyatāmiti || 8 ||

Vaisampayana said,--"Then, O bull of the Bharata race, urged by Maya, Vasudeva reflected for a moment as to what he should ask Maya to accomplish. Krishna, the Lord of the universe and the Creator of every object, having reflected in his mind, thus commanded Maya,--'Let a palatial sabha (meeting hall) as thou choosest, be built (by thee), if thou, O son of Diti, who art the foremost of all artists, desirest to do good to Yudhishthira the just. Indeed, build thou such a palace that persons belonging to the world of men may not be able to imitate it even after examining it with care, while seated within. And, O Maya, build thou a mansion in which we may behold a combination of godly, asuric and human designs.'"

2.1.9

codayāmāsa taṃ kṛṣṇaḥ sabhā vai kriyatāmiti |
dharmarājasya daiteya yādṛśīmiha manyase || 9 ||

2.1.10

yāṃ kṛtāṃ nānukuryuste mānavāḥ prekṣya vismitāḥ |
manuṣyaloke kṛtsne'smiṃstādṛśīṃ kuru vai sabhām || 10 ||

2.1.11

yatra divyānabhiprāyānpaśyema vihitāṃstvayā |
āsurānmānuṣāṃścaiva tāṃ sabhāṃ kuru vai maya || 11 ||

2.1.12

pratigṛhya tu tadvākyaṃ saṃprahṛṣṭo mayastadā |
vimānapratimāṃ cakre pāṇḍavasya sabhāṃ mudā || 12 ||

Vaisampayana continued,--"Having heard those words, Maya became exceedingly glad. And he forthwith built a magnificent palace for the son of Pandu like unto the palace of the celestials themselves. Then Krishna and Partha (Arjuna) after having narrated everything unto king Yudhishthira the just, introduced Maya unto him. Yudhishthira received Maya with respect, offering him the honour he deserved. And, O Bharata, Maya accepted that honour thinking highly of it. O monarch of the Bharata race, that great son of Diti then recited unto the sons of Pandu the history of the Danava Vrisha-parva, and that foremost of artists then, having rested awhile, set himself after much thoughtful planning to build a palace for the illustrious sons of Pandu. Agreeably to the wishes of both Krishna and the sons of Pritha, the illustrious Danava of great prowess, having performed on an auspicious day the initial propitiatory rites of foundation and having also gratified thousands of well-versed Brahmanas with sweetened milk and rice and with rich presents of various kinds, measured out a plot of land five thousand cubits square, which was delightful and exceedingly handsome to behold and which was favourable for construction of a building well-suited to the exigencies of every season."

2.1.13

tataḥ kṛṣṇaśca pārthaśca dharmarāje yudhiṣṭhire |
sarvametadyathāvedya darśayāmāsaturmayam || 13 ||

2.1.14

tasmai yudhiṣṭhiraḥ pūjāṃ yathārhamakarottadā |
sa tu tāṃ pratijagrāha mayaḥ satkṛtya satkṛtaḥ || 14 ||

2.1.15

sa pūrvadevacaritaṃ tatra tatra viśāṃ pate |
kathayāmāsa daiteyaḥ pāṇḍuputreṣu bhārata || 15 ||

2.1.16

sa kālaṃ kaṃcidāśvasya viśvakarmā pracintya ca |
sabhāṃ pracakrame kartuṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ mahātmanām || 16 ||

2.1.17

abhiprāyeṇa pārthānāṃ kṛṣṇasya ca mahātmanaḥ |
puṇye'hani mahātejāḥ kṛtakautukamaṅgalaḥ || 17 ||

2.1.18

tarpayitvā dvijaśreṣṭhānpāyasena sahasraśaḥ |
dhanaṃ bahuvidhaṃ dattvā tebhya eva ca vīryavān || 18 ||

2.1.19

sarvartuguṇasaṃpannāṃ divyarūpāṃ manoramām |
daśakiṣkusahasrāṃ tāṃ māpayāmāsa sarvataḥ || 19 ||