01.110
Core:Initially Pandu decides to become ascetic, then he leaves for Shatashringa along with his wives.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
taṁ vyatītam atikramya rājā svam iva bāndhavam. sabhāryaḥ śokaduḥkhārtaḥ paryadevayad āturaḥ ॥1॥
The king, crossing over the deceased as if it were his own kinsman, lamented distraught and sorrowful, along with his wife.
pāṇḍur uvāca॥
Pāṇḍu said:
satām api kule jātāḥ karmaṇā bata durgatim. prāpnuvanty akṛtātmānaḥ kāmajālavimohitāḥ ॥2॥
Even those born in noble families, alas, meet a miserable end by their actions, being undisciplined and deluded by the snare of desire.
śaśvaddharmātmanā jāto bāla eva pitā mama. jīvitāntam anuprāptaḥ kāmātmāiveti naḥ śrutam ॥3॥
Though born ever righteous, my father, even in childhood, met his end driven by desire — so we have heard.
tasya kāmātmanaḥ kṣetre rājñaḥ saṁyatavāg ṛṣiḥ. kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaḥ sākṣād bhagavān mām ajījanat ॥4॥
In the field of that desire-driven king, the sage of controlled speech, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, directly begot me, O revered one.
tasyādya vyasane buddhiḥ sañjāteyaṁ mamādhamā. tyaktasya devair anayān mṛgayāyāṁ durātmanaḥ ॥5॥
Now in misfortune, my degraded mind has arisen — of one abandoned by the gods due to the misconduct of a wicked soul in hunting.
mokṣam eva vyavasyāmi bandho hi vyasanaṁ mahat. suvṛttim anuvartiṣye tām ahaṁ pitur avyayām. atīva tapasātmānaṁ yojayiṣyāmy asaṁśayam ॥6॥
I now resolve upon liberation alone; for bondage is a great misery. I shall follow my father’s noble conduct and certainly engage myself in intense austerity.
tasmād eko'ham ekāham ekaikasmin vanaspatau. caran bhaikṣyaṁ munir muṇḍaś cariṣyāmi mahīm imām ॥7॥
Therefore, I shall wander alone, shaven-headed like a sage, begging alms from tree to tree each day on this earth.
pāṁsunā samavacchannaḥ śūnyāgārapratiśrayaḥ. vṛkṣamūlaniketo vā tyaktasarvapriyāpriyaḥ ॥8॥
Covered with dust, dwelling in empty shelters or beneath trees, renouncing all attachments, I shall live.
na śocan na prahṛṣyaṁś ca tulyanindātmasaṁstutiḥ. nirāśīr nirnamaskāro nirdvandvo niṣparigrahaḥ ॥9॥
Neither grieving nor rejoicing, equal in blame and self-praise, without hope or greeting, free of dualities, and without possessions.
na cāpy avahasan kañcin na kurvan bhrukuṭīṁ kvacit. prasannavadano nityaṁ sarvabhūtahite rataḥ ॥10॥
Not mocking anyone, nor frowning ever, always cheerful-faced, and engaged in the welfare of all beings.
jaṅgamājaṅgamaṁ sarvam avihiṁsaṁ caturvidham. svāsu prajāsu iva sadā samaḥ prāṇabhṛtāṁ prati ॥11॥
Towards all beings, moving and non-moving, of four types, always non-violent and equal — like to his own offspring, he remained equally disposed toward all living beings.
ekakālaṁ caran bhaikṣyaṁ kulāni dve ca pañca ca. asambhave vā bhaikṣasya caran anaśanāni api ॥12॥
Seeking alms once a day from two or five households, and in absence of alms, even practicing fasting.
alpam alpam yathā bhojyaṁ pūrvalābhena jātu cit. nityaṁ nāticaran lābhe alābhe sapta pūrayan ॥13॥
Eating little by little of what is appropriate, from previous gains, never exceeding daily intake, filling up seven mouthfuls even when there is scarcity.
vāsy ekaṁ takṣato bāhuṁ candanenai kam ukṣataḥ. na akalyāṇaṁ na kalyāṇaṁ pradhyāyan ubhayos tayoḥ ॥14॥
When one cloth is torn or one arm anointed with sandal, he contemplates neither auspiciousness nor inauspiciousness in either case.
na jijīviṣuvat kiñcin na mumūrṣuvad ācaran. maraṇaṁ jīvitaṁ caiva nābhinandan na ca dviṣan ॥15॥
Behaving neither like one wishing to live nor like one wishing to die, he neither welcomed life nor despised death.
yāḥ kāścit jīvatā śakyāḥ kartum abhyudayakriyāḥ. tāḥ sarvāḥ samatikramya nimeṣādiṣu avasthitaḥ ॥16॥
Transcending all acts of prosperity possible through life, he remained steady even in the briefest moment.
tāsu sarvāsu avasthāsu tyaktasarvendriyakriyaḥ. samparityaktadharmātmā sunirṇiktātmakalmaṣaḥ ॥17॥
In all such states, having renounced all sense activities, he had fully abandoned even righteousness, his inner impurities completely purified.
nirmuktaḥ sarvapāpebhyo vyatītaḥ sarvavāgurāḥ. na vaśe kasyacit tiṣṭhan sadharmā mātariśvanaḥ ॥18॥
Freed from all sins, transcending all traps, not under anyone's control, he abided like the air, of the same essence as Mātariśvan.
etayā satataṁ vṛttyā caran evaṁprakārayā. dehaṁ sandhārayiṣyāmi nirbhayaṁ mārgam āsthitaḥ ॥19॥
By this constant conduct in this way, I shall sustain the body, having fearlessly taken up the path.
nāhaṁ śvācarite mārge avīryakṛpaṇocite. svadharmāt satatāprete rameyaṁ vīryavarjitaḥ ॥20॥
I would not delight in the path lived like a dog, suited to the impotent and pitiable, having forever strayed from one's own duty and devoid of valor.
satkṛto'satkṛto vā api yo'nyāṁ kṛpaṇacakṣuṣā. upaiti vṛttiṁ kāmātmā sa śunāṁ vartate pathi ॥21॥
Whether honored or dishonored, the man of lust who approaches another woman with pitiful intent follows the path of dogs.
vaiśaṁpāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
evam uktvā suduḥkhārto niḥśvāsaparamo nṛpaḥ. avekṣamāṇaḥ kuntīṁ ca mādrīṁ ca samabhāṣata ॥22॥
Having spoken thus, the king, deeply afflicted and sighing greatly, looked at Kuntī and Mādrī and addressed them.
kausalyā viduraḥ kṣattā rājā ca saha bandhubhiḥ. āryā satyavatī bhīṣmaḥ te ca rāja-purohitāḥ ॥23॥
Kausalyā, Vidura, the steward, the king with his relatives, the noble lady Satyavatī, Bhīṣma, and the royal priests—
brāhmaṇāś ca mahātmānaḥ somapāḥ saṁśitavratāḥ. pauravṛddhāś ca ye tatra nivasanti asmadāśrayāḥ. prasādya sarve vaktavyāḥ pāṇḍuḥ pravrajito vanam ॥24॥
The great-souled Brāhmaṇas, Soma-drinkers of firm vows, the elders of the city and our dependents — after appeasing them all, inform them that Pāṇḍu has gone to the forest.
niśamya vacanaṁ bhartuḥ vanavāse dhṛtātmanaḥ. tat samaṁ vacanaṁ kuntī mādrī ca samabhāṣatām ॥25॥
Hearing the speech of their resolute husband about going to the forest, Kuntī and Mādrī likewise spoke in agreement.
anye'pi hy āśramāḥ santi ye śakyā bharatarṣabha. āvābhyāṁ dharma-patnībhyāṁ saha taptvā tapo mahat. tvam eva bhavitā sārthaḥ svargasya api na saṁśayaḥ ॥26॥
Other hermitages also exist which are suitable, O best of Bharatas. Performing great austerity with us two righteous wives, you alone will fulfill the aim — even for heaven, there is no doubt.
praṇidhāya indriya-grāmaṁ bhartṛ-loka-parāyaṇe. tyakta-kāma-sukhe hy āvāṁ tapsyāvo vipulaṁ tapaḥ ॥27॥
Restraining the senses and devoted to our husband's path, we two shall practice great austerity, having renounced pleasures of desire.
yadi āvāṁ mahāprājña tyakṣyasi tvaṁ viśāṁ pate. adyaiva āvāṁ prahāsyāvo jītivaṁ na atra saṁśayaḥ ॥28॥
If you, O wise king, forsake us, then this very day we two shall forsake life. Of this, there is no doubt.
pāṇḍur uvāca॥
Pāṇḍu said:
yadi vyavasitaṁ hy etad yuvayor dharma-saṁhitam. sva-vṛttim anuvartiṣye tām ahaṁ pitur avyayām ॥29॥
If this resolution of you both is in accordance with dharma, I shall follow the unchanging conduct of my father.
tyakta-grāmya-sukhācāraḥ tapyamānaḥ mahat tapaḥ. valkalī phala-mūlāśī cariṣyāmi mahāvane ॥30॥
Abandoning the comforts of village life, performing great austerity, clad in bark, eating fruits and roots, I shall live in the great forest.
agniṁ juhvann ubhau kālāv ubhau kālāv upaspṛśan. kṛśaḥ parimitāhāraś cīracarma-jaṭādharaḥ ॥31॥
Offering oblations to fire and performing purifications at dawn and dusk, emaciated, eating sparingly, wearing bark, skin, and matted locks.
śīta-vātātapa-sahaḥ kṣut-pipāsā-śramānvitaḥ. tapasā duścareṇa idaṁ śarīram upaśoṣayan ॥32॥
Enduring cold, wind, and heat, afflicted by hunger, thirst, and fatigue, he wasted away his body through intense austerity.
ekānta-śīlī vimṛśan pakva-apakvena vartayan. pitṛn devāṁś ca vanyena vāgbhiḥ adbhiś ca tarpayan ॥33॥
Dwelling in solitude, reflecting, sustaining himself with cooked and uncooked forest food, he propitiated the gods and ancestors with offerings, words, and water.
vānaprastha-janasya api darśanaṁ kula-vāsinām. na apriyāṇi ācaran jātu kiṁ punaḥ grāma-vāsinām ॥34॥
He never acted unpleasantly even towards forest-dwellers of noble descent — what then to speak of village-dwellers.
evam āraṇya-śāstrāṇām ugra-ugrataraṁ vidhim. kāṅkṣamāṇaḥ aham āsiṣye dehasya asya samāpanāt ॥35॥
Thus, desiring the most austere discipline of the forest codes, I will dwell until the dissolution of this body.
vaiśaṁpāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
ity evam uktvā bhārye te rājā kaurava-vaṁśajaḥ. tataḥ cūḍāmaṇiṁ niṣka-maṅgade kuṇḍalāni ca ॥ vāsāṁsi ca mahārhāṇi strīṇām ābharaṇāni ca ॥36॥
Having thus spoken to his wives, the king of the Kaurava line gave away his crest-jewel, golden neck ornament, armlets, and earrings; and the costly garments and ornaments of the women.
pradāya sarvaṁ viprebhyaḥ pāṇḍuḥ punar abhāṣata. gatvā nāgapuraṁ vācyaṁ pāṇḍuḥ pravrajito vanam ॥37॥
Having given away all to the Brāhmaṇas, Pāṇḍu said again: “Go to Nāgapura and say, ‘Pāṇḍu has retired to the forest.’”
arthaṁ kāmaṁ sukhaṁ ca eva ratiṁ ca paramātmikām. pratasthe sarvam utsṛjya sa-bhāryaḥ kuru-puṅgavaḥ ॥38॥
Renouncing wealth, desire, pleasure, and even supreme spiritual delight, the foremost of the Kurus departed with his wife.
tataḥ tasya anuyātrāṇi te ca eva paricārakāḥ. śrutvā bharata-siṁhasya vividhāḥ karuṇā giraḥ. bhīma-mārta-svaraṁ kṛtvā hāheti paricukruśuḥ ॥39॥
Then his followers and attendants, hearing the sorrowful utterances of the lion among Bharatas, wailed aloud, crying “Alas!” with terrible lamentation.
uṣṇa-maśru vimuñcantaḥ taṁ vihāya mahī-patim. yayuḥ nāgapuraṁ tūrṇaṁ sarvam ādāya tad vacaḥ ॥40॥
Shedding hot tears, leaving the king behind, they swiftly went to Nāgapura, carrying his message.
śrutvā ca tebhyaḥ tat sarvaṁ yathā-vṛttaṁ mahā-vane. dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ nara-śreṣṭhaḥ pāṇḍum eva anvaśocata ॥41॥
Having heard from them all that had happened in the great forest, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, best among men, lamented only for Pāṇḍu.
rāja-putras tu kauravyaḥ pāṇḍuḥ mūla-phala-aśanaḥ. jagāma saha bhāryābhyāṁ tato nāgasabhaṁ girim ॥42॥
Pāṇḍu, the Kuru prince living on roots and fruits, went with his two wives to the mountain Nāgasabha.
sa caitra-ratham āsādya vāriṣeṇa atītya ca. himavantam atikramya prayayau gandhamādanam ॥43॥
He reached Caitraratha, crossed the river Vāriṣā, passed over the Himālaya, and went to Gandhamādana.
rakṣyamāṇo mahā-bhūtaiḥ siddhaiś ca paramarṣibhiḥ. uvāsa sa tadā rājā sameṣu viṣameṣu ca ॥44॥
Protected by great beings, perfected souls, and exalted sages, the king then dwelt in both easy and difficult terrains.
indradyumna-saraḥ prāpya haṁsa-kūṭam atītya ca. śata-śṛṅge mahārāja tāpasaḥ samapadyata ॥45॥
Having reached lake Indradyumna and passed the swan-peak Haṁsakuṭa, he became an ascetic at the hundred-peaked mountain, O great king.
