Mahabharata 3.140: catvāriṃśadadhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ

3.140.1

lomaśa uvāca |
uśīrabījaṃ mainākaṃ giriṃ śvetaṃ ca bhārata |
samatīto'si kaunteya kālaśailaṃ ca pārthiva || 1 ||

"Lomasa said, 'O descendant of Bharata, O king, now hast thou left behind the mountains Usiravija, Mainaka and Sweta, as well as the Kala hills, O son of Kunti, O bull among the descendants of Bharata, here flow before thee the seven Gangas. This spot is pure and holy. Here Agni blazeth forth without intermission. No son of Manu is able to obtain a sight of this wonder. Therefore, O son of Pandu, concentrate your mind in order that he may intently behold these tirthas. Now wilt thou see the play-ground of the gods, marked with their footprints, as we have passed the mountain Kala. We shall now ascend that white rock--the mountain Mandara, inhabited by the Yakshas, Manibhadra and Kuvera, king of the [paragraph continues] Yakshas. O king, at this place eighty thousand fleet Gandharvas, and four times as many Kimpurushas and Yakshas of various shapes and forms, holding various weapons, attend upon Manibhadra, king of the Yakshas. In these regions their power is very great. And in speed they are even as the wind. They can, without doubt, displace even the lord of the celestials from his seat. Protected by them, and also watched over by the Rakshasas, these mountains have been rendered inaccessible. Therefore, O son of Pritha, do thou concentrate thy thoughts. Besides these, O son of Kunti, here are fierce ministers of Kuvera and his Rakshasa kindred. We shall have to meet them, and, therefore, O Kunti's son, gather up thy energies. O king the mountain Kailasa is six yojanas in height. It contains a gigantic jujube tree. And, O son of Kunti, numberless gods and Yakshas and Rakshasas and Kinnaras and Nagas and Suparnas and Gandharvas pass this way, in going towards Kuvera's palace. O king, protected by me, as well as by the might of Bhimasena, and also in virtue of thy own asceticism and self-command, do thou to-day mix with them. May king Varuna and Yama, conqueror of battles, and Ganga, and Yamuna, and this mountain, and the Maruts and the twin Aswins, and all rivers and lakes, vouchsafe thy safety. And, O effulgent one, mayst thou have safety from all the celestials and the Asuras, and the Vasus. O Goddess Ganga, I hear thy roar from this golden mountain, sacred to Indra. O Goddess of high fortune, in these mountainous regions, protect the king, worshipped by all of the Ajamidha race. O daughter of the mountain (Himalaya), this king is about to enter into these mountainous regions. Do thou, therefore, confer protection upon him.'

3.140.2

eṣā gaṅgā saptavidhā rājate bharatarṣabha |
sthānaṃ virajasaṃ ramyaṃ yatrāgnirnityamidhyate || 2 ||

3.140.3

etadvai mānuṣeṇādya na śakyaṃ draṣṭumapyuta |
samādhiṃ kurutāvyagrāstīrthānyetāni drakṣyatha || 3 ||

3.140.4

śvetaṃ giriṃ pravekṣyāmo mandaraṃ caiva parvatam |
yatra māṇicaro yakṣaḥ kuberaścāpi yakṣarāṭ || 4 ||

3.140.5

aṣṭāśītisahasrāṇi gandharvāḥ śīghracāriṇaḥ |
tathā kiṃpuruṣā rājanyakṣāścaiva caturguṇāḥ || 5 ||

3.140.6

anekarūpasaṃsthānā nānāpraharaṇāśca te |
yakṣendraṃ manujaśreṣṭha māṇibhadramupāsate || 6 ||

3.140.7

teṣāmṛddhiratīvāgryā gatau vāyusamāśca te |
sthānātpracyāvayeyurye devarājamapi dhruvam || 7 ||

3.140.8

taistāta balibhirguptā yātudhānaiśca rakṣitāḥ |
durgamāḥ parvatāḥ pārtha samādhiṃ paramaṃ kuru || 8 ||

3.140.9

kuberasacivāścānye raudrā maitrāśca rākṣasāḥ |
taiḥ sameṣyāma kaunteya yatto vikramaṇe bhava || 9 ||

3.140.10

kailāsaḥ parvato rājanṣaḍyojanaśatānyuta |
yatra devāḥ samāyānti viśālā yatra bhārata || 10 ||

3.140.11

asaṃkhyeyāstu kaunteya yakṣarākṣasakiṃnarāḥ |
nāgāḥ suparṇā gandharvāḥ kuberasadanaṃ prati || 11 ||

3.140.12

tānvigāhasva pārthādya tapasā ca damena ca |
rakṣyamāṇo mayā rājanbhīmasenabalena ca || 12 ||

3.140.13

svasti te varuṇo rājā yamaśca samitiṃjayaḥ |
gaṅgā ca yamunā caiva parvataśca dadhātu te || 13 ||

3.140.14

indrasya jāmbūnadaparvatāgre śṛṇomi ghoṣaṃ tava devi gaṅge |
gopāyayemaṃ subhage giribhyaḥ sarvājamīḍhāpacitaṃ narendram |
bhavasva śarma pravivikṣato'sya śailānimāñśailasute nṛpasya || 14 ||

"Having thus addressed the river, Lomasa bade Yudhishthira, saying, 'Be thou careful.'"

3.140.15

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
apūrvo'yaṃ saṃbhramo lomaśasya kṛṣṇāṃ sarve rakṣata mā pramādam |
deśo hyayaṃ durgatamo mato'sya tasmātparaṃ śaucamihācaradhvam || 15 ||

"Yudhishthira said, This confusion of Lomasa is unprecedented. Therefore, protect ye Krishna, and be not careless. Lomasa knows this place to be certainly difficult of access. Therefore, do ye practise here the utmost cleanliness."

3.140.16

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
tato'bravīdbhīmamudāravīryaṃ kṛṣṇāṃ yattaḥ pālaya bhīmasena |
śūnye'rjune'saṃnihite ca tāta tvameva kṛṣṇāṃ bhajase'sukheṣu || 16 ||

"Vaisampayana said, "He next addressed his brother Bhima of vast prowess, saying, 'O Bhimasena, do thou protect Krishna carefully. Whether Arjuna be near or away, Krishna in times of danger ever seeketh protection from thee alone.'"

3.140.17

tato mahātmā yamajau sametya mūrdhanyupāghrāya vimṛjya gātre |
uvāca tau bāṣpakalaṃ sa rājā mā bhaiṣṭamāgacchatamapramattau || 17 ||

"Then the high-souled monarch approached the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, and after smelling their heads, and rubbing their persons, with tears said unto them, 'Do not fear. Proceed, however, with caution."'