The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 3.180: aśītyadhika śatatamo'dhyāyaḥ

3.180.1

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
kāmyakaṃ prāpya kaunteyā yudhiṣṭhirapurogamāḥ |
kṛtātithyā munigaṇairniṣeduḥ saha kṛṣṇayā || 1 ||

Vaisampayana said, "O son of Kuru, they, Yudhishthira and others, having reached the forest of Kamyaka, were, hospitably received by hosts of saints and they lived together with Krishna. And while the sons of Pandu were dwelling in security in that place, many Brahmanas came to wait upon them. And a certain Brahmana said, 'He the beloved friend of Arjuna, of powerful arms and possessed of self control, descendant of Sura, of a lofty intellect, will come, for, O ye foremost of the descendants of Kuru, Hari knows that ye have arrived here. For, Hari has always a longing for your sight and always seeks your welfare. And Markandeya, who lived very many years devoted to great austerities, given to study and penance, will erelong come and meet you.' And the very moment that he was uttering these words, there was beheld Krishna, coming thitherward upon a car unto which were yoked the horses Saivya and Sugriva,--he the best of those that ride on cars, accompanied by Satyabhama, is like Indra by Sachi, the daughter of Pulaman. And the son of Devaki came, desirous to see those most righteous of the descendants of Kuru. And the sagacious Krishna, having alighted from the car, prostrated himself, with pleasure in his heart, before the virtuous king, in the prescribed way, and also before Bhima, that foremost of powerful men. And he paid his respects to Dhaumya, while the twin brothers prostrated themselves to him. And he embraced Arjuna of the curly hair;

3.180.2

tatastānpariviśvastānvasataḥ pāṇḍunandanān |
brāhmaṇā bahavastatra samantātparyavārayan || 2 ||

3.180.3

athābravīddvijaḥ kaścidarjunasya priyaḥ sakhā |
eṣyatīha mahābāhurvaśī śaurirudāradhīḥ || 3 ||

3.180.4

viditā hi hareryūyamihāyātāḥ kurūdvahāḥ |
sadā hi darśanākāṅkṣī śreyo'nveṣī ca vo hariḥ || 4 ||

3.180.5

bahuvatsarajīvī ca mārkaṇḍeyo mahātapāḥ |
svādhyāyatapasā yuktaḥ kṣipraṃ yuṣmānsameṣyati || 5 ||

3.180.6

tathaiva tasya bruvataḥ pratyadṛśyata keśavaḥ |
sainyasugrīvayuktena rathena rathināṃ varaḥ || 6 ||

3.180.7

maghavāniva paulomyā sahitaḥ satyabhāmayā |
upāyāddevakīputro didṛkṣuḥ kurusattamān || 7 ||

3.180.8

avatīrya rathātkṛṣṇo dharmarājaṃ yathāvidhi |
vavande mudito dhīmānbhīmaṃ ca balināṃ varam || 8 ||

3.180.9

pūjayāmāsa dhaumyaṃ ca yamābhyāmabhivāditaḥ |
pariṣvajya guḍākeśaṃ draupadīṃ paryasāntvayat || 9 ||

and spoke words of solace to the daughter of Drupada. And the descendant of the chief of the Dasaraha tribe, that chastiser of foes, when he saw the beloved Arjuna come near him, having seen him after a length of time, clasped him again and again. And so too Satyabhama also, the beloved consort of Krishna, embraced the daughter of Drupada, the beloved wife of the sons of Pandu. Then these sons of Pandu, accompanied by their wife and priests, paid their respects to Krishna, whose eyes resembled the white lotus and surrounded him on all sides. And Krishna, when united with Arjuna, the son of Pritha, the winner of riches and the terror of the demons assumed a beauty comparable to that of Siva, the magnanimous lord of all created beings, when he, the mighty lord, is united with Kartikeya (his son). And Arjuna, who bore a circlet of crowns on his head, gave an account of what had happened to him in the forest to Krishna, the elder brother of Gada. And Arjuna asked, saying, 'How is Subhadra, and her son Abhimanyu?' And Krishna, the slayer of Madhu, having paid his respects in the prescribed form to the son of Pritha, and to the priest, and seating himself with them there, spoke to king Yudhishthira, in words of praise. And he said, 'O king, Virtue is preferable to the winning of kingdoms; it is, in fact, practice of austerities! By you who have obeyed with truth and candour what your duty prescribed, have been won both this world and that to come!

3.180.10

sa dṛṣṭvā phalgunaṃ vīraṃ cirasya priyamāgatam |
paryaṣvajata dāśārhaḥ punaḥ punarariṃdamam || 10 ||

3.180.11

tathaiva satyabhāmāpi draupadīṃ pariṣasvaje |
pāṇḍavānāṃ priyāṃ bhāryāṃ kṛṣṇasya mahiṣī priyā || 11 ||

3.180.12

tataste pāṇḍavāḥ sarve sabhāryāḥ sapurohitāḥ |
ānarcuḥ puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ parivavruśca sarvaśaḥ || 12 ||

3.180.13

kṛṣṇastu pārthena sametya vidvāndhanaṃjayenāsuratarjanena |
babhau yathā bhūtapatirmahātmā sametya sākṣādbhagavānguhena || 13 ||

3.180.14

tataḥ samastāni kirīṭamālī vaneṣu vṛttāni gadāgrajāya |
uktvā yathāvatpunaranvapṛcchatkathaṃ subhadrā ca tathābhimanyuḥ || 14 ||

3.180.15

sa pūjayitvā madhuhā yathāvatpārthāṃśca kṛṣṇāṃ ca purohitaṃ ca |
uvāca rājānamabhipraśaṃsanyudhiṣṭhiraṃ tatra sahopaviśya || 15 ||

3.180.16

dharmaḥ paraḥ pāṇḍava rājyalābhāttasyārthamāhustapa eva rājan |
satyārjavābhyāṃ caratā svadharmaṃ jitastavāyaṃ ca paraśca lokaḥ || 16 ||

3.180.17

adhītamagre caratā vratāni samyagdhanurvedamavāpya kṛtsnam |
kṣātreṇa dharmeṇa vasūni labdhvā sarve hyavāptāḥ kratavaḥ purāṇāḥ || 17 ||

First you have studied, while performing religious duties; having acquired in a suitable way the whole science of arms, having won wealth by pursuing the methods prescribed for the military caste, you have celebrated all the time-honoured sacrificial rites. You take no delight in sensual pleasures; you do not act, O lord of men, from motives of enjoyment, nor do you swerve from virtue from greed of riches; it is for this, you have been named the Virtuous King, O son of Pritha! Having won kingdoms and riches and means of enjoyment, your best delight has been charity and truth and practice of austerities, O King, and faith and meditation and forbearance and patience! When the population of Kuru-jangala beheld Krishna outraged in the assembly hall, who but yourself could brook that conduct, O Pandu's son, which was so repugnant both to virtue and usage? No doubt, you will, before long, rule over men in a praiseworthy way, all your desires being fulfilled. Here are we prepared to chastise the Kurus, as soon as the stipulation made by you is fully performed!

3.180.18

na grāmyadharmeṣu ratistavāsti kāmānna kiṃcitkuruṣe narendra |
na cārthalobhātprajahāsi dharmaṃ tasmātsvabhāvādasi dharmarājaḥ || 18 ||

3.180.19

dānaṃ ca satyaṃ ca tapaśca rājañśraddhā ca śāntiśca dhṛtiḥ kṣamā ca |
avāpya rāṣṭrāṇi vasūni bhogāneṣā parā pārtha sadā ratiste || 19 ||

3.180.20

yadā janaughaḥ kurujāṅgalānāṃ kṛṣṇāṃ sabhāyāmavaśāmapaśyat |
apetadharmavyavahāravṛttaṃ saheta tatpāṇḍava kastvadanyaḥ || 20 ||

3.180.21

asaṃśayaṃ sarvasamṛddhakāmaḥ kṣipraṃ prajāḥ pālayitāsi samyak |
ime vayaṃ nigrahaṇe kurūṇāṃ yadi pratijñā bhavataḥ samāptā || 21 ||

3.180.22

dhaumyaṃ ca kṛṣṇāṃ ca yudhiṣṭhiraṃ ca yamau ca bhīmaṃ ca daśārhasiṃhaḥ |
uvāca diṣṭyā bhavatāṃ śivena prāptaḥ kirīṭī muditaḥ kṛtāstraḥ || 22 ||

And Krishna, the foremost of the Dasarha tribe, then said to Dhaumya and Bhima and Yudhishthira, and the twins and Krishna, 'How fortunate that by your blessing Arjuna the bearer of the coronet, has arrived after having acquired the science of arms!" And Krishna, the leader of the Dasarha tribe, accompanied by friends, likewise spoke to Krishna, the daughter of Yajnasena, saying, 'How fortunate that you are united, safe and secure, with Arjuna, the winner of riches!' And Krishna also said, 'O Krishna, O daughter of Yajnasena, those sons of yours, are devoted to the study of the science of arms, are well-behaved and conduct themselves on the pattern, O Krishna, of their righteous friends. Your father and your uterine brothers proffer them a kingdom and territories; but the boys find no joy in the house of Drupada, or in that of their maternal uncles. Safely proceeding to the land of the Anartas, they take the greatest delight in the study of the science of arms. Your sons enter the town of the Vrishnis and take an immediate liking to the people there. And as you would direct them to conduct themselves, or as the respected Kunti would do, so does Subhadra direct them in a watchful way. Perhaps, she is still more careful of them. And, O Krishna, as Rukmini's son is the preceptor of Aniruddha, of Abhimanyu, of Sunitha, and of Bhanu; so he is the preceptor and the refuge of your sons also!

3.180.23

provāca kṛṣṇāmapi yājñasenīṃ daśārhabhartā sahitaḥ suhṛdbhiḥ |
kṛṣṇe dhanurvedaratipradhānāḥ satyavratāste śiśavaḥ suśīlāḥ |
sadbhiḥ sadaivācaritaṃ samādhiṃ caranti putrāstava yājñaseni || 23 ||

3.180.24

rājyena rāṣṭraiśca nimantryamāṇāḥ pitrā ca kṛṣṇe tava sodaraiśca |
na yajñasenasya na mātulānāṃ gṛheṣu bālā ratimāpnuvanti || 24 ||

3.180.25

ānartamevābhimukhāḥ śivena gatvā dhanurvedaratipradhānāḥ |
tavātmajā vṛṣṇipuraṃ praviśya na daivatebhyaḥ spṛhayanti kṛṣṇe || 25 ||

3.180.26

yathā tvamevārhasi teṣu vṛttiṃ prayoktumāryā ca yathaiva kuntī |
teṣvapramādena sadā karoti tathā ca bhūyaśca tathā subhadrā || 26 ||

3.180.27

yathāniruddhasya yathābhimanyoryathā sunīthasya yathaiva bhānoḥ |
tathā vinetā ca gatiśca kṛṣṇe tavātmajānāmapi raukmiṇeyaḥ || 27 ||

3.180.28

gadāsicarmagrahaṇeṣu śūrānastreṣu śikṣāsu rathāśvayāne |
samyagvinetā vinayatyatandrīstāṃścābhimanyuḥ satataṃ kumāraḥ || 28 ||

And a good preceptor, would unceasingly give them lessons in the wielding of maces and swords and bucklers, in missiles and in the arts of driving cars and of riding horses, being valiant. And he, the son of Rukmini, having bestowed a very good training upon them, and having taught them the art of using various weapons in a proper way, takes satisfaction at the valorous deeds of your sons, and of Abhimanyu. O daughter of Drupada! And when your son goes out, in pursuit of (out-door) sports, each one of them is followed thither by cars and horses and vehicles and elephants.' And Krishna said to the virtuous king, Yudhishthira, The fighting men of the Dasarha tribe, and the Kukuras, and the Andhakas--let these, O king, place themselves at thy command--let them perform what thou desirest them. O lord of men, let the army of the tribe of Madhus, (resistless) like the wind, with their bows and led by Balarama whose weapon is the plough--let that army, equipped (for war), consisting of horsemen and foot soldiers and horses and cars and elephants, prepare to do your bidding. O son of Pandu! Drive Duryodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra, the vilest of sinful men, together with his followers and his hosts of friends to the path betaken by the lord of Saubha, the son of the Earth!

3.180.29

sa cāpi samyakpraṇidhāya śikṣāmastrāṇi caiṣāṃ guruvatpradāya |
tavātmajānāṃ ca tathābhimanyoḥ parākramaistuṣyati raukmiṇeyaḥ || 29 ||

3.180.30

yadā vihāraṃ prasamīkṣamāṇāḥ prayānti putrāstava yājñaseni |
ekaikameṣāmanuyānti tatra rathāśca yānāni ca dantinaśca || 30 ||

3.180.31

athābravīddharmarājaṃ tu kṛṣṇo daśārhayodhāḥ kukurāndhakāśca |
ete nideśaṃ tava pālayanti tiṣṭhanti yatrecchasi tatra rājan || 31 ||

3.180.32

āvartatāṃ kārmukavegavātā halāyudhapragrahaṇā madhūnām |
senā tavārtheṣu narendra yattā sasādipattyaśvarathā sanāgā || 32 ||

3.180.33

prasthāpyatāṃ pāṇḍava dhārtarāṣṭraḥ suyodhanaḥ pāpakṛtāṃ variṣṭhaḥ |
sa sānubandhaḥ sasuhṛdgaṇaśca saubhasya saubhādhipateśca mārgam || 33 ||

3.180.34

kāmaṃ tathā tiṣṭha narendra tasminyathā kṛtaste samayaḥ sabhāyām |
dāśārhayodhaistu sasādiyodhaṃ pratīkṣatāṃ nāgapuraṃ bhavantam || 34 ||

You, O ruler of men, are welcome to stick to that stipulation which was made in the assembly-hall--but let the city of Hastina be made ready for you, when the hostile force has been slain by the soldiers of the Dasarha tribe! Having roamed at your pleasure in all those places where you may desire to go, having got rid of your grief and freed from all your sins--you will reach the city of Hastina--the well-known city situated in the midst of a fine territory!--Then the magnanimous king having been acquainted with the view, thus clearly set forth by Krishna that best of men, and, having applauded the same, and having deliberated, thus spoke with joined palms unto Kesava, 'O Kesava, no doubt, thou art the refuge of the sons of Pandu; for the sons of Pandu have their protector in thee! When the time will come, there is no doubt that thou wilt do all the work just mentioned by thee; and even more than the same! As promised by us, we have spent all the twelve years in lonely forests. O Kesava, having in the prescribed way completed the period for living unrecognised, the sons of Pandu will take refuge in thee. This should be the intention of those that associate with thee, O Krishna! The sons of Pandu swerve not from the path of truth, for the sons of Pritha with their charity and their piety with their people and their wives and with their relations have their protector in thee!"

3.180.35

vyapetamanyurvyapanītapāpmā vihṛtya yatrecchasi tatra kāmam |
tataḥ samṛddhaṃ prathamaṃ viśokaḥ prapatsyase nāgapuraṃ sarāṣṭram || 35 ||

3.180.36

tatastadājñāya mataṃ mahātmā yathāvaduktaṃ puruṣottamena |
praśasya viprekṣya ca dharmarājaḥ kṛtāñjaliḥ keśavamityuvāca || 36 ||

3.180.37

asaṃśayaṃ keśava pāṇḍavānāṃ bhavāngatistvaccharaṇā hi pārthāḥ |
kālodaye tacca tataśca bhūyaḥ kartā bhavānkarma na saṃśayo'sti || 37 ||

3.180.38

yathāpratijñaṃ vihṛtaśca kālaḥ sarvāḥ samā dvādaśa nirjaneṣu |
ajñātacaryāṃ vidhivatsamāpya bhavadgatāḥ keśava pāṇḍaveyāḥ || 38 ||

3.180.39

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
tathā vadati vārṣṇeye dharmarāje ca bhārata |
atha paścāttapovṛddho bahuvarṣasahasradhṛk |
pratyadṛśyata dharmātmā mārkaṇḍeyo mahātapāḥ || 39 ||

Vaisampayana said, 'O descendant of Bharata, while Krishna, the descendant of the Vrishnis and the virtuous king, were thus talking, there appeared then the saint Markandeya, grown grey in the practise of penances. And he had seen many thousand years of life, was of a pious soul, and devoted to great austerities. Signs of old age he had none; and deathless he was, and endued with beauty and generous and many good qualities. And he looked like one only twenty-five years old. And when the aged saint, who had seen many thousand years of life, came, all the Brahamanas paid their respects to him and so did Krishna together with Pandu's son. And when that wisest saint, thus honoured, took his seat in a friendly way, Krishna addressed him, in accordance with the views of the Brahmanas and of Pandu's sons, thus,--

3.180.40

tamāgatamṛṣiṃ vṛddhaṃ bahuvarṣasahasriṇam |
ānarcurbrāhmaṇāḥ sarve kṛṣṇaśca saha pāṇḍavaiḥ || 40 ||

3.180.41

tamarcitaṃ suviśvastamāsīnamṛṣisattamam |
brāhmaṇānāṃ matenāha pāṇḍavānāṃ ca keśavaḥ || 41 ||

3.180.42

śuśrūṣavaḥ pāṇḍavāste brāhmaṇāśca samāgatāḥ |
draupadī satyabhāmā ca tathāhaṃ paramaṃ vacaḥ || 42 ||

"The sons of Pandu, and the Brahmanas assembled here, and the daughter of Drupada, and Satyabhama, likewise myself, are all anxious to hear your most excellent words, O Markandeya! Propound to us the holy stories of events of bygone times, and the eternal rules of righteous conduct by which are guided kings and women and saints!"

3.180.43

purāvṛttāḥ kathāḥ puṇyāḥ sadācārāḥ sanātanāḥ |
rājñāṃ strīṇāmṛṣīṇāṃ ca mārkaṇḍeya vicakṣva naḥ || 43 ||

3.180.44

teṣu tatropaviṣṭeṣu devarṣirapi nāradaḥ |
ājagāma viśuddhātmā pāṇḍavānavalokakaḥ || 44 ||

Vaisampayana continued, "When they had all taken their seats, Narada also, the divine saint, of purified soul, came on a visit to Pandu's sons. Him also, then, of great soul, all those foremost men of superior intellect, honoured in the prescribed form, by offering water to wash his feet, and the well-known oblation called the Arghya. Then the godlike saint, Narada, learning that they were about to hear the speech of Markandeya, expressed his assent to the arrangement. And he, the deathless, knowing what would be opportune, said smilingly, 'O saint of the Brahmana caste, speak what you were about to say unto the sons of Pandu!' Thus addressed, Markandeya, devoted to great austerities, replied, 'Wait a moment. A great deal will be narrated.' Thus addressed, the sons of Pandu, together with those twice-born ones, waited a moment, looking at that great saint, (bright) as the mid-day sun."

3.180.45

tamapyatha mahātmānaṃ sarve tu puruṣarṣabhāḥ |
pādyārghyābhyāṃ yathānyāyamupatasthurmanīṣiṇam || 45 ||

3.180.46

nāradastvatha devarṣirjñātvā tāṃstu kṛtakṣaṇān |
mārkaṇḍeyasya vadatastāṃ kathāmanvamodata || 46 ||

3.180.47

uvāca cainaṃ kālajñaḥ smayanniva sa nāradaḥ |
brahmarṣe kathyatāṃ yatte pāṇḍaveṣu vivakṣitam || 47 ||

3.180.48

evamuktaḥ pratyuvāca mārkaṇḍeyo mahātapāḥ |
kṣaṇaṃ kurudhvaṃ vipulamākhyātavyaṃ bhaviṣyati || 48 ||

3.180.49

evamuktāḥ kṣaṇaṃ cakruḥ pāṇḍavāḥ saha tairdvijaiḥ |
madhyaṃdine yathādityaṃ prekṣantastaṃ mahāmunim || 49 ||