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Matsyapurana 103

English (machine translation) 103

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English

103.1

Nandikeśvara said:
Hereafter I shall declare the description of Prayāga,
which was told of old by Mārkaṇḍeya to the son of Pāṇḍu.

103.2

When the Bhārata war had passed and the son of Pṛthā had obtained the kingdom,
in the meantime, King Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Kuntī,

103.3

tormented by grief for his brothers, reflected again and again:
“Suyodhana was king, commander of eleven armies;

103.4

having tormented us repeatedly, all of them have gone to destruction.
Having taken refuge in Vāsudeva, only the five Pāṇḍavas remain,

103.5

having slain Bhīṣma, and Droṇa, and mighty Karṇa,
and King Duryodhana, together with his sons and brothers.

103.6

All the kings have been slain, and whoever else considered themselves heroes.
What is the use to us of a kingdom, O Govinda? What is the use of pleasures, or of life?”

103.7

Reflecting, “Fie, what misery!”, the king, overcome with despondency,
motionless, devoid of energy, stood for a while with his head hanging down.

103.8

When the king regained consciousness, reflecting again and again:
“What rite, or observance, or pilgrimage place is there,

103.9

by which I may quickly be freed from the sin of heinous crime,
[and] dwelling where a man goes to the unsurpassed realm of Viṣṇu?

103.10

How can I ask Kṛṣṇa, by whom I was caused to do this?
How can I ask Dhṛtarāṣṭra, whose hundred sons were killed?

103.11

How can I ask Vyāsa, whose lineage has been destroyed?”
Thus Yudhiṣṭhira, the king of righteousness, was overcome with despondency;
all the Pāṇḍavas wept, overwhelmed with grief for their brothers.

103.12

And whatever noble Pāṇḍavas were gathered there,
and Kuntī, and Draupadī, and whoever else had assembled there,
all fell down upon the ground, weeping on every side.

103.13

In Vārāṇasī, Mārkaṇḍeya knew of Yudhiṣṭhira,
how he had fallen into despondency, weeping and sorrowful.

103.14

In no long time, Mārkaṇḍeya of great asceticism
arrived at Hāstinapura and stood at the royal gate.

103.15

The gatekeeper, having seen him, quickly informed the king:
“Desiring to see you, that sage Mārkaṇḍeya stands at the door.”
Then the son of Dharma hastily went to the gate.

103.16

Yudhiṣṭhira said:
“Welcome to you, O fortunate one! Welcome to you, O great sage!
Today my birth is fruitful; today my family has been saved.

103.17

Today my ancestors are pleased, since you have been seen, O great sage;
today I am one whose body is purified, because of this meeting with you.”

103.18

Nandikeśvara said:
Having seated him upon a throne, with the washing of feet, worship, and the like,
the high-souled Yudhiṣṭhira worshipped that sage.

103.19

Then Mārkaṇḍeya, satisfied and worshipped, said to that king:
“Tell me quickly, O king, for what reason have you wept?
Or by what have you become distressed? What trouble do you have? What displeasing thing [has occurred]?”

103.20

Yudhiṣṭhira said:
What has happened to us for the sake of the kingdom, O great sage—
knowing all this, I have fallen under the sway of grief.

103.21

Mārkaṇḍeya said:
Listen, O great-armed king, to what is established in the duty of the kṣatriya:
no sin is seen for a wise man fighting in battle.

103.22

How much less so through the duty of kings, especially for a kṣatriya!
Resolving your heart in this way, one should therefore not brood over sin.

103.23

Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, bowing his head to the sage,
endowed with humility, asked about the destroyer of all sins.

103.24

Yudhiṣṭhira said:
I ask you, O man of great wisdom, who always sees the three worlds:
tell me concisely that by which one may be freed from sin.

103.25

Mārkaṇḍeya said:
Listen, O great-armed king, to the destroyer of all sins:
journeying to Prayāga is supreme for people of virtuous deeds.

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