Mahabharata 9.35: pañcatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

9.35.1

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
tasmānnadīgataṃ cāpi udapānaṃ yaśasvinaḥ |
tritasya ca mahārāja jagāmātha halāyudhaḥ || 1 ||

Vaishampayana said, "Baladeva (as already said), proceeded next to the tirtha called Udapana in the Sarasvati, that had formerly been the residence, O king, of the illustrious (ascetic) Trita. Having given away much wealth and worshipped the Brahmanas, the hero having the plough for his weapon bathed there and became filled with joy. Devoted to righteousness, the great ascetic Trita had lived there. While in a hole, that high-souled one had drunk the Soma juice. His two brothers, dashing him down into that pit, had returned to their home. That foremost of Brahmanas, Trita, had thereupon cursed them both."

9.35.2

tatra dattvā bahu dravyaṃ pūjayitvā tathā dvijān |
upaspṛśya ca tatraiva prahṛṣṭo musalāyudhaḥ || 2 ||

9.35.3

tatra dharmaparo hyāsīttritaḥ sa sumahātapāḥ |
kūpe ca vasatā tena somaḥ pīto mahātmanā || 3 ||

9.35.4

tatra cainaṃ samutsṛjya bhrātarau jagmaturgṛhān |
tatastau vai śaśāpātha trito brāhmaṇasattamaḥ || 4 ||

9.35.5

janamejaya uvāca |
udapānaṃ kathaṃ brahmankathaṃ ca sumahātapāḥ |
patitaḥ kiṃ ca saṃtyakto bhrātṛbhyāṃ dvijasattamaḥ || 5 ||

Janamejaya said, "What is the origin of Udapana? How did the great ascetic (Trita) fall into a pit, there? Why was that foremost of Brahmanas thrown into that pit by his brothers? How did his brothers, after throwing him into that hole, return home? How did Trita perform his sacrifice and how did he drink Soma? Tell me all this, O Brahmana, if thou thinkest that I may listen to it without impropriety!"

9.35.6

kūpe kathaṃ ca hitvainaṃ bhrātarau jagmaturgṛhān |
etadācakṣva me brahmanyadi śrāvyaṃ hi manyase || 6 ||

9.35.7

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
āsanpūrvayuge rājanmunayo bhrātarastrayaḥ |
ekataśca dvitaścaiva tritaścādityasaṃnibhāḥ || 7 ||

Vaishampayana continued, "In a former Yuga, O king, there were three brothers that were ascetics. They were called Ekata, Dwita, and Trita, and all three were endued with effulgence like that of the sun. They were like Lords of the creation and were blessed with children. Utterers of Brahma, they had by their penances, acquired the privilege of attaining to the regions of Brahman (after death). With their penances, vows, and self-restraint, their sire Gautama, who was ever devoted to virtue, became highly and always pleased with them. Having obtained great joy in consequence of his sons, the adorable Gautama, after passing a long life here, went at last to the region (in the other world) that was fit for him. Those kings, however, O monarch, that had been the Yajamanas of Gautama, continued to worship Gautama's sons after the sire had proceeded to heaven. Amongst them, however, Trita, by his acts and study (of the Vedas), O king, became the foremost, even like his sire Gautama. Then all the highly blessed ascetics, characterised by righteousness, began to worship Trita as they had worshipped his sire Gautama before him. Once upon a time, the two brothers Ekata and Dwita thought of performing a sacrifice and became anxious for wealth. The plan they formed, O scorcher of foes, was to take Trita with them, and calling upon all their Yajamanas and collecting the needful number of animals, they would joyfully drink the Soma juice and acquire the great merits of sacrifice.

9.35.8

sarve prajāpatisamāḥ prajāvantastathaiva ca |
brahmalokajitaḥ sarve tapasā brahmavādinaḥ || 8 ||

9.35.9

teṣāṃ tu tapasā prīto niyamena damena ca |
abhavadgautamo nityaṃ pitā dharmarataḥ sadā || 9 ||

9.35.10

sa tu dīrgheṇa kālena teṣāṃ prītimavāpya ca |
jagāma bhagavānsthānamanurūpamivātmanaḥ || 10 ||

9.35.11

rājānastasya ye pūrve yājyā hyāsanmahātmanaḥ |
te sarve svargate tasmiṃstasya putrānapūjayan || 11 ||

9.35.12

teṣāṃ tu karmaṇā rājaṃstathaivādhyayanena ca |
tritaḥ sa śreṣṭhatāṃ prāpa yathaivāsya pitā tathā || 12 ||

9.35.13

taṃ sma sarve mahābhāgā munayaḥ puṇyalakṣaṇāḥ |
apūjayanmahābhāgaṃ tathā vidvattayaiva tu || 13 ||

9.35.14

kadāciddhi tato rājanbhrātarāvekatadvitau |
yajñārthaṃ cakratuścittaṃ dhanārthaṃ ca viśeṣataḥ || 14 ||

9.35.15

tayościntā samabhavattritaṃ gṛhya paraṃtapa |
yājyānsarvānupādāya pratigṛhya paśūṃstataḥ || 15 ||

9.35.16

somaṃ pāsyāmahe hṛṣṭāḥ prāpya yajñaṃ mahāphalam |
cakruścaiva mahārāja bhrātarastraya eva ha || 16 ||

The three brothers then, O monarch, did as settled. Calling upon all their Yajamanas for (obtaining) animals, and assisting them in their sacrifices and receiving a large number of animals from them, and having duly accepted them in gift in consequence of those priestly services which they rendered, those high-souled and great Rishis came towards the east. Trita, O king, with a cheerful heart was walking before them. Ekata and Dwita were in his rear, bringing up the animals. Beholding that large herd of animals, they began to reflect as to how they two could appropriate that property without giving a share unto Trita. Hear, O king, what those two sinful wretches, Ekata and Dwita, said while conversing with each other! They said, 'Trita is skilled in assisting at sacrifices. Trita is devoted to the Vedas. Trita is capable of earning many other kine. Let us two, therefore, go away, taking the kine with us! Let Trita go whithersoever he chooses, without being in our company!' As they proceeded, night came upon them on the way. They then saw a wolf before them. Not far from that spot was a deep hole on the bank of the Sarasvati. Trita, who was in advance of his brothers, seeing the wolf, ran in fright and fell into that hole. That hole was fathomless and terrible and capable of inspiring all creatures with fear. Then Trita, O king, that best of ascetics, from within that hole, began to utter wails of woe. His two brothers heard his cries.

9.35.17

tathā tu te parikramya yājyānsarvānpaśūnprati |
yājayitvā tato yājyām̐llabdhvā ca subahūnpaśūn || 17 ||

9.35.18

yājyena karmaṇā tena pratigṛhya vidhānataḥ |
prācīṃ diśaṃ mahātmāna ājagmuste maharṣayaḥ || 18 ||

9.35.19

tritasteṣāṃ mahārāja purastādyāti hṛṣṭavat |
ekataśca dvitaścaiva pṛṣṭhataḥ kālayanpaśūn || 19 ||

9.35.20

tayościntā samabhavaddṛṣṭvā paśugaṇaṃ mahat |
kathaṃ na syurimā gāva āvābhyāṃ vai vinā tritam || 20 ||

9.35.21

tāvanyonyaṃ samābhāṣya ekataśca dvitaśca ha |
yadūcaturmithaḥ pāpau tannibodha janeśvara || 21 ||

9.35.22

trito yajñeṣu kuśalastrito vedeṣu niṣṭhitaḥ |
anyāstrito bahutarā gāvaḥ samupalapsyate || 22 ||

9.35.23

tadāvāṃ sahitau bhūtvā gāḥ prakālya vrajāvahe |
trito'pi gacchatāṃ kāmamāvābhyāṃ vai vinākṛtaḥ || 23 ||

9.35.24

teṣāmāgacchatāṃ rātrau pathisthāne vṛko'bhavat |
tathā kūpo'vidūre'bhūtsarasvatyāstaṭe mahān || 24 ||

9.35.25

atha trito vṛkaṃ dṛṣṭvā pathi tiṣṭhantamagrataḥ |
tadbhayādapasarpanvai tasminkūpe papāta ha |
agādhe sumahāghore sarvabhūtabhayaṃkare || 25 ||

9.35.26

tritastato mahābhāgaḥ kūpastho munisattamaḥ |
ārtanādaṃ tataścakre tau tu śuśruvaturmunī || 26 ||

9.35.27

taṃ jñātvā patitaṃ kūpe bhrātarāvekatadvitau |
vṛkatrāsācca lobhācca samutsṛjya prajagmatuḥ || 27 ||

Understanding that he had fallen into a pit, his brothers Ekata and Dwita, moved by fear of the wolf as also by temptation, went on, deserting their brother. Thus deserted by his two brothers, who were moved by the temptation of appropriating those animals, the great ascetic Trita, O king, while within that lonely well covered with dust and herbs and creepers, thought himself plunged, O chief of the Bharatas, into hell itself like a sinful wretch. He feared to die inasmuch as he had not earned the merit of drinking Soma juice. Possessed of great wisdom, he began to reflect with the aid of his intelligence as to how he could succeed in drinking Soma even there. While thinking on that subject, the great ascetic, standing in that pit, beheld a creeper hanging down into it in course of its growth. Although the pit was dry, the sage imagined the existence of water and of sacrificial fires there. Constituting himself the Hotri (in imagination), the great ascetic imagined the creeper he saw to be the Soma plant. He then mentally uttered the Richs, the Yayushes and the Samans (that were necessary for the performance of a sacrifice). The pebbles (lying at the bottom of the well) Trita converted into grains of sugar (in imagination). He then, O king, (mentally) performed his ablutions. He conceived the water (he had imagined) to be clarified butter. He allotted to the celestials their respective shares (of those sacrificial offerings).

9.35.28

bhrātṛbhyāṃ paśulubdhābhyāmutsṛṣṭaḥ sa mahātapāḥ |
udapāne mahārāja nirjale pāṃsusaṃvṛte || 28 ||

9.35.29

trita ātmānamālakṣya kūpe vīruttṛṇāvṛte |
nimagnaṃ bharataśreṣṭha pāpakṛnnarake yathā || 29 ||

9.35.30

buddhyā hyagaṇayatprājño mṛtyorbhīto hyasomapaḥ |
somaḥ kathaṃ nu pātavya ihasthena mayā bhavet || 30 ||

9.35.31

sa evamanusaṃcintya tasminkūpe mahātapāḥ |
dadarśa vīrudhaṃ tatra lambamānāṃ yadṛcchayā || 31 ||

9.35.32

pāṃsugraste tataḥ kūpe vicintya salilaṃ muniḥ |
agnīnsaṃkalpayāmāsa hotre cātmānameva ca || 32 ||

9.35.33

tatastāṃ vīrudhaṃ somaṃ saṃkalpya sumahātapāḥ |
ṛco yajūṃṣi sāmāni manasā cintayanmuniḥ |
grāvāṇaḥ śarkarāḥ kṛtvā pracakre'bhiṣavaṃ nṛpa || 33 ||

9.35.34

ājyaṃ ca salilaṃ cakre bhāgāṃśca tridivaukasām |
somasyābhiṣavaṃ kṛtvā cakāra tumulaṃ dhvanim || 34 ||

Having next (mentally) drunk Soma, he began to utter a loud noise. Those sounds, O king, first uttered by the sacrificing Rishi, penetrated into heaven, and Trita completed that sacrifice after the manner laid down by utterers of Brahma. During the progress of that sacrifice of the high-souled Trita, the whole region of the celestials became agitated. None knew, however, the cause. Brihaspati (the preceptor of the gods) heard that loud noise (made by Trita). The priests of the celestials said unto the latter, 'Trita is performing a sacrifice. We must go there, ye gods! Endued with great ascetic merit, if angry, he is competent to create other gods!' Hearing these words of Brihaspati, all the gods, united together, repaired to that spot where the sacrifice of Trita was going on. Having proceeded to that spot, the gods beheld the high-souled Trita installed in the performance of his sacrifice. Beholding that high-souled one resplendent with beauty, the gods addressed him, saying, 'We have come hither for our shares (in thy offerings)!' The Rishi said unto them, 'Behold me, ye denizens of heaven, fallen into this terrible well, almost deprived of my senses!' Then, Trita, O monarch, duly gave unto them their shares with proper mantras. The gods took them and became very glad. Having duly obtained their allotted shares, the denizens of heaven, gratified with him, gave him such boons as he desired.

9.35.35

sa cāviśaddivaṃ rājansvaraḥ śaikṣastritasya vai |
samavāpa ca taṃ yajñaṃ yathoktaṃ brahmavādibhiḥ || 35 ||

9.35.36

vartamāne tathā yajñe tritasya sumahātmanaḥ |
āvignaṃ tridivaṃ sarvaṃ kāraṇaṃ ca na budhyate || 36 ||

9.35.37

tataḥ sutumulaṃ śabdaṃ śuśrāvātha bṛhaspatiḥ |
śrutvā caivābravīddevānsarvāndevapurohitaḥ || 37 ||

9.35.38

tritasya vartate yajñastatra gacchāmahe surāḥ |
sa hi kruddhaḥ sṛjedanyāndevānapi mahātapāḥ || 38 ||

9.35.39

tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya sahitāḥ sarvadevatāḥ |
prayayustatra yatrāsau tritayajñaḥ pravartate || 39 ||

9.35.40

te tatra gatvā vibudhāstaṃ kūpaṃ yatra sa tritaḥ |
dadṛśustaṃ mahātmānaṃ dīkṣitaṃ yajñakarmasu || 40 ||

9.35.41

dṛṣṭvā cainaṃ mahātmānaṃ śriyā paramayā yutam |
ūcuścātha mahābhāgaṃ prāptā bhāgārthino vayam || 41 ||

9.35.42

athābravīdṛṣirdevānpaśyadhvaṃ māṃ divaukasaḥ |
asminpratibhaye kūpe nimagnaṃ naṣṭacetasam || 42 ||

9.35.43

tatastrito mahārāja bhāgāṃsteṣāṃ yathāvidhi |
mantrayuktānsamadadātte ca prītāstadābhavan || 43 ||

9.35.44

tato yathāvidhi prāptānbhāgānprāpya divaukasaḥ |
prītātmāno dadustasmai varānyānmanasecchati || 44 ||

9.35.45

sa tu vavre varaṃ devāṃstrātumarhatha māmitaḥ |
yaścehopaspṛśetkūpe sa somapagatiṃ labhet || 45 ||

The boon, however, that he solicited was that the gods should relieve him from his distressful situation (in the well). He also said, 'Let him that bathes in this well, have the end that is attained by persons that have drunk Soma!' At these words, O king, the Sarasvati with her waves appeared within that well. Raised aloft by her, Trita came up and worshipped the denizens of heaven. The gods then said unto him 'Be it as thou wishest!' All of them, then, O king, went to the place whence they had come, and Trita, filled with joy, proceeded to his own abode. Meeting with those two Rishis, his brothers, he became enraged with them. Possessed of great ascetic merit, he said certain harsh words unto them and cursed them, saying, 'Since, moved by covetousness, you ran away, deserting me, therefore, you shall become fierce wolves with sharp teeth and range the forest, cursed by me in consequence of that sinful act of yours! The offspring also that you shall have will consist of leopards, and bears and apes!' After Trita had said these words, O monarch, his two brothers were seen to be very soon transformed into these shapes in consequence of the words of that truthful sage. Of immeasurable prowess, Valadeva touched the waters of Udapana. And he gave away diverse kinds of wealth there and worshipped many Brahmanas. Beholding Udapana and applauding it repeatedly, Valadeva next proceeded to Vinasana which also was on the Sarasvati."

9.35.46

tatra cormimatī rājannutpapāta sarasvatī |
tayotkṣiptastritastasthau pūjayaṃstridivaukasaḥ || 46 ||

9.35.47

tatheti coktvā vibudhā jagmū rājanyathāgatam |
tritaścāpyagamatprītaḥ svameva nilayaṃ tadā || 47 ||

9.35.48

kruddhaḥ sa tu samāsādya tāvṛṣī bhrātarau tadā |
uvāca paruṣaṃ vākyaṃ śaśāpa ca mahātapāḥ || 48 ||

9.35.49

paśulubdhau yuvāṃ yasmānmāmutsṛjya pradhāvitau |
tasmādrūpeṇa teṣāṃ vai daṃṣṭriṇāmabhitaścarau || 49 ||

9.35.50

bhavitārau mayā śaptau pāpenānena karmaṇā |
prasavaścaiva yuvayorgolāṅgūlarkṣavānarāḥ || 50 ||

9.35.51

ityukte tu tadā tena kṣaṇādeva viśāṃ pate |
tathābhūtāvadṛśyetāṃ vacanātsatyavādinaḥ || 51 ||

9.35.52

tatrāpyamitavikrāntaḥ spṛṣṭvā toyaṃ halāyudhaḥ |
dattvā ca vividhāndāyānpūjayitvā ca vai dvijān || 52 ||

9.35.53

udapānaṃ ca taṃ dṛṣṭvā praśasya ca punaḥ punaḥ |
nadīgatamadīnātmā prāpto vinaśanaṃ tadā || 53 ||