01.102
Core:Pandu becomes the King.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
teṣu triṣu kumāreṣu jāteṣu kurujāṅgalam । kuravo'tha kurukṣetraṁ trayam etad avardhata ॥1॥
When the three princes were born, the land of Kurujāṅgala, the people of the Kurus, and Kurukṣetra—all three flourished.
ūrdhvasasyābhavad bhūmiḥ sasyāni phalavanti ca । yathārtuvarṣī parjanyo bahupuṣpaphalā drumāḥ ॥2॥
The land yielded tall and fruitful crops; the rain god rained in due season; trees were abundant with flowers and fruits.
vāhanāni prahṛṣṭāni muditā mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ । gandhavanti ca mālyāni rasavanti phalāni ca ॥3॥
Vehicles were joyful, beasts and birds delighted; garlands were fragrant, fruits were juicy.
vaṇigbhiś cāvakīryanta nagarāṇy atha śilpibhiḥ । śūrāś ca kṛtavidyāś ca santaś ca sukhino'bhavan ॥4॥
The cities were filled with merchants and artisans; the brave, the learned, and the virtuous lived in happiness.
nābhavan dasyavaḥ kecin nādharmarucayo janāḥ । pradeśeṣv api rāṣṭrāṇāṁ kṛtaṁ yugam avartata ॥5॥
There were no bandits, nor were people inclined to unrighteousness; even in the distant regions, the golden age prevailed.
dānakriyādharmaśīlā yajñavrataparāyaṇāḥ । anyonyaprītisaṁyuktā vyavardhanta prajās tadā ॥6॥
The people, devoted to charity, rites, sacrifices, and vows, bound by mutual love, flourished greatly.
mānakrodhavihīnāś ca janā lobhavivarjitāḥ । anyonyam abhyavardhanta dharmottaram avartata ॥7॥
The people, free from pride, anger, and greed, flourished together; supreme righteousness prevailed.
tan mahodadhivat pūrṇaṁ nagaraṁ vai vyarocata । dvāratoraṇaniryūhair yuktam abhracayopamaiḥ ॥ prāsādaśatasambādhaṁ mahendrapurasannibham ॥8॥
The city shone like a vast ocean, full and majestic, adorned with gates, arches, and ramparts resembling masses of clouds. It was crowded with hundreds of mansions, resembling the city of Indra.
nadīṣu vanakhaṇḍeṣu vāpīpalvalasānuṣu । kānaneṣu ca ramyeṣu vijahrur muditā janāḥ ॥9॥
Joyful people roamed and played in rivers, forests, tanks, marshes, slopes, and beautiful woods.
uttaraiḥ kurubhiḥ sārdhaṁ dakṣiṇāḥ kuravas tadā । vispardhamānā vyacaran tathā siddharṣicāraṇaiḥ ॥ nābhavat kṛpaṇaḥ kaścin nābhavan vidhavāḥ striyaḥ ॥10॥
The southern Kurus mingled and competed with the northern Kurus, moving among siddhas, sages, and celestial bards. No one was miserable, and there were no widowed women.
tasmiñ janapade ramye bahavaḥ kurubhiḥ kṛtāḥ । kūpārāmasabhāvāpyo brāhmaṇāvasathās tathā ॥ bhīṣmeṇa śāstrato rājan sarvataḥ parirakṣite ॥11॥
In that delightful region, the Kurus constructed many wells, gardens, halls, ponds, and residences for brāhmaṇas. With Bhīṣma protecting all in accordance with the scriptures, O king.
babhūva ramaṇīyaś ca caityayūpaśatāṅkitaḥ । sa deśaḥ pararāṣṭrāṇi pratigṛhyābhivardhitaḥ ॥ bhīṣmeṇa vihitaṁ rāṣṭre dharmacakram avartata ॥12॥
That land became beautiful, adorned with hundreds of sacred shrines and yūpas; it prospered by receiving peoples from foreign nations. By Bhīṣma's establishment, the wheel of dharma prevailed in the kingdom.
kriyamāṇeṣu kṛtyeṣu kumārāṇāṁ mahātmanām । paurajanapadāḥ sarve babhūvuḥ satatotsavāḥ ॥13॥
As the great-souled princes performed their duties, all the citizens and countryfolk lived in constant festivity.
gṛheṣu kurumukhyānāṁ paurāṇāṁ ca narādhipa । dīyatāṁ bhujyatāṁ ceti vāco'śrūyanta sarvaśaḥ ॥14॥
In the homes of the Kurus and the citizens, O king, voices were heard everywhere saying, “Let it be given! Let it be enjoyed!”
dhṛtarāṣṭraś ca pāṇḍuś ca viduraś ca mahāmatiḥ । janmaprabhṛti bhīṣmeṇa putravat paripālitāḥ ॥15॥
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and the wise Vidura were cared for by Bhīṣma like his own sons from birth.
saṁskāraiḥ saṁskṛtās te tu vratādhyayanasaṁyutāḥ । śramavyāyāmakuśalāḥ samapadyanta yauvanam ॥16॥
Trained through sacraments, engaged in vows and study, skilled in effort and exercise—they grew into youth.
dhanurvede'śvapṛṣṭhe ca gadāyuddhe'sicarmaṇi । tathaiva gajaśikṣāyāṁ nītiśāstre ca pāragāḥ ॥17॥
They became experts in archery, horseback riding, mace and sword combat, elephant training, and the science of polity.
itihāsapurāṇeṣu nānāśikṣāsu cābhibho । vedavedāṅgatattvajñāḥ sarvatra kṛtaniśramāḥ ॥18॥
They excelled in epics, purāṇas, and various sciences; thoroughly trained, they mastered the essence of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas.
pāṇḍur dhanuṣi vikrānto narebhyo'bhyadhiko'bhavat । atyan yān balavān āsīd dhṛtarāṣṭro mahīpatiḥ ॥19॥
Pāṇḍu became valiant in archery and surpassed other men; Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the king, was exceedingly strong.
triṣu lokeṣu na tvāsīt kaścid vidurasammitaḥ । dharmanityas tato rājan dharme ca paramaṁ gataḥ ॥20॥
In the three worlds, there was none equal to Vidura; ever devoted to dharma, he attained the highest in righteousness, O king.
pranaṣṭaṁ śantanor vaṁśaṁ samīkṣya punar uddhṛtam । tato nirvacanaṁ loke sarvarāṣṭreṣv avartata ॥21॥
Seeing the lineage of Śantanu perished and then restored, a proclamation spread across all kingdoms.
vīrasūnāṁ kāśisute deśānāṁ kurujāṅgalam । sarvadharmavidāṁ bhīṣmaḥ purāṇāṁ gajasāhvayam ॥22॥
The daughter of Kāśi bore heroic sons; the Kuru land and Hastināpura, famed in ancient lore, flourished under Bhīṣma, knower of all dharmas.
dhṛtarāṣṭras tv acakṣuṣṭvād rājyaṁ na pratyapadyata । karaṇatvāc ca viduraḥ pāṇḍur āsīn mahīpatiḥ ॥23॥
Because Dhṛtarāṣṭra was blind and Vidura was of mixed birth, Pāṇḍu became king.
