01.208
Pancharatra: Arjuna's piligramage to South and encounter with crocodile.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tataḥ samudre tīrthāni dakṣiṇe bharatarṣabhaḥ । abhyagacchatsu puṇyāni śobhitāni tapasvibhiḥ ॥1-208-1॥
Then the illustrious descendant of Bharata proceeded to the sacred places on the southern ocean, which were highly meritorious and graced by ascetics.
varjayanti sma tīrthāni pañca tatra tu tāpasāḥ । ācīrṇāni tu yāni āsan purastāt tu tapasvibhiḥ ॥1-208-2॥
The ascetics avoided five fords there, but those which had previously been practiced by ascetics were not avoided.
agastyatīrthaṃ saubhadraṃ paulomaṃ ca supāvanam । kārandhamaṃ prasannaṃ ca hayamedhaphalaṃ ca yat ॥ bhāradvājasya tīrthaṃ ca pāpapraśamanaṃ mahat ॥1-208-3॥
Agastya's tīrtha, Saubhadra, Pauloma, the supremely pure Kārandhama, the clear one, and that which yields the fruit of a horse-sacrifice; also the tīrtha of Bhāradvāja, which is a great remover of sins.
viviktānyupalakṣyātha tāni tīrthāni pāṇḍavaḥ । dṛṣṭvā ca varjyamānāni munibhir dharmabuddhibhiḥ ॥1-208-4॥
Then, having noticed the solitary sacred places, Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Pāṇḍu, saw those that were being avoided by sages devoted to dharma.
tapasvinastato'pṛcchat prājñaliḥ kurunandanaḥ । tīrthānīmāni varjyante kimarthaṃ brahmavādibhiḥ ॥1-208-5॥
Then the ascetic, with joined palms, asked, "O delight of the Kurus, for what reason are these holy places avoided by those who speak of Brahman?"
tāpasā ūcuḥ॥
The ascetics said.
grāhāḥ pañca vasantyeṣu haranti ca tapodhanān | ata etāni varjyante tīrthāni kurunandana ||1-208-6||
O Kurunandana, five crocodiles dwell in these fords and carry away ascetics; therefore, these fords are to be avoided.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
teṣāṃ śrutvā mahābāhur vāryamāṇas tapodhanaiḥ । jagāma tāni tīrthāni draṣṭuṃ puruṣasattamaḥ ॥1-208-7॥
Having heard from them, the mighty-armed hero, though restrained by the ascetics, went to see those holy places.
tataḥ saubhadram āsādya maharṣeḥ tīrtham uttamam । vigāhya tarasā śūraḥ snānaṃ cakre parantapaḥ ॥1-208-8॥
Then Saubhadra (Arjuna), having reached the excellent holy place of the great sage, quickly plunged in and performed his bath, he who scorches his enemies.
atha taṃ puruṣavyāghram antarjalacaro mahān । nijagrāha jale grāhaḥ kuntīputraṃ dhanañjayam ॥1-208-9॥
Then the mighty crocodile living in the water seized Dhanañjaya, the son of Kuntī, who was like a tiger among men, while he was in the water.
sa tam-ādāya kaunteyaḥ visphurantaṃ jale-caram । udatishṭhan-mahā-bāhur-balena balināṃ varaḥ ॥1-208-10॥
The mighty-armed son of Kunti, best among the strong, seized the quivering aquatic creature and rose up by his strength.
utkṛṣṭa eva tu grāhaḥ so'rjunena yaśasvinā । babhūva nārī kalyāṇī sarvābharaṇabhūṣitā ॥1-208-11॥
The capture was truly excellent; by the illustrious Arjuna, she became a woman, auspicious and adorned with every ornament.
dīpyamānā śriyā rājan divyarūpā manoramā ॥1-208-11॥
O king, she was shining with splendor, possessing a divine and charming form.
tadadbhutaṃ mahad dṛṣṭvā kuntīputro dhanañjayaḥ । tāṃ striyaṃ paramaprīta idaṃ vacanam abravīt ॥1-208-12॥
Having seen that great and wonderful thing, Kuntī's son Dhanañjaya, being extremely pleased with the woman, spoke these words.
kā vai tvam asi kalyāṇi kuto vā asi jale-carī | kim-artham ca mahat-pāpam idaṃ kṛtavatī purā ||1-208-13||
Who are you, O auspicious lady? Where are you from, or are you a water-dweller? For what reason did you commit this great sin in the past?
nāryuvāca॥
The woman spoke.
apsarāsmi mahābāho devāraṇyavicāriṇī । iṣṭā dhanapaternityaṃ vargā nāma mahābala ॥1-208-14॥
O mighty-armed one, I am an apsarā named Vargā, a wanderer in the divine forest, always beloved of the lord of wealth, and of great strength.
mama sakhyaś catasro 'nyāḥ sarvāḥ kāmagamāḥ śubhāḥ । tābhiḥ sārdhaṃ prayātāsmi lokapālaniveśanam ॥1-208-15॥
I, along with my four other auspicious friends who can move at will, have gone to the abode of the guardians of the world.
tataḥ paśyāmahe sarvā brāhmaṇaṃ saṃśitavratam । rūpavantam adhīyānam ekam ekāntacāriṇam ॥1-208-16॥
Then we all saw the brāhmaṇa, who was of firm vows, handsome, learned, solitary, and one who moved about alone.
tasya vai tapasā rājan tad vanaṃ tejasā āvṛtam । āditya iva tam deśam kṛtsnam sa vyavabhāsayat ॥1-208-17॥
O king, by his austerity, that forest was enveloped in brilliance; like the sun, he illuminated that entire region.
tasya dṛṣṭvā tapastādṛgrūpaṃ cādbhutadarśanam | avatīrṇāḥ sma taṃ deśaṃ tapovighnacikīrṣayā ॥1-208-18॥
Having witnessed his extraordinary austerity and marvelous appearance, they descended to that place with the intention of creating an obstacle to his penance.
ahaṃ ca saurabheyī ca samīcī budbudā latā । yaugapadyena taṃ vipram abhyagacchāma bhārata ॥1-208-19॥
O Bhārata, I, Saurabheyī, Samīcī, Budbudā, and Latā all approached that sage at the same time.
gāyantyo vai hasantyaś ca lobhayantyaś ca taṃ dvijam । sa ca nāsmāsu kṛtavān mano vīra kathaṃcana ॥ nākampata mahātejāḥ sthitastapasi nirmale ॥1-208-20॥
The women sang, laughed, and tried to entice the twice-born sage, but he did not turn his mind to any of us in any way, O hero. The great-souled one remained unshaken, steadfast in his pure penance.
so'śapat kupito'smāṁs tu brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyarṣabha | grāhabhūtā jale yūyaṁ cariṣyadhvaṁ śataṁ samāḥ ॥1-208-21॥
He, being angry, cursed us, O best of kṣatriyas: "You all shall become crocodiles in the water and remain there for a hundred years."
