03.044
Core: Indra welcomes Arjuna and the description of Indra’s splendour.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
sa dadarśa purīṃ ramyāṃ siddhacāraṇasevitām। sarvartukusumaiḥ puṇyaiḥ pādapairupaśobhitām ॥3-44-1॥
He saw the beautiful city, served by siddhas and celestial bards, adorned with auspicious trees blossoming in every season. (3-44-1)
tatra saugandhikānāṃ sa drumāṇāṃ puṇyagandhinām। upavījyamāno miśreṇa vāyunā puṇyagandhinā ॥3-44-2॥
There, he was fanned by the mixed wind carrying the auspicious fragrance of the Saugandhika flowers and the trees of auspicious scent. (3-44-2)
nandanaṃ ca vanaṃ divyam apsarogaṇasevitam। dadarśa divyakusumair āhvayadbhir iva drumaiḥ ॥3-44-3॥
He saw the Nandana, the divine forest attended by groups of apsarases, with trees as if inviting with divine flowers. (3-44-3)
nātaptatapasā śakyo draṣṭuṃ nānāhitāgninā। sa lokaḥ puṇyakartṝṇāṃ nāpi yuddhaparāṅmukhaiḥ ॥3-44-4॥
That world of the meritorious cannot be seen by one who has not performed austerities, nor by one who has not kindled the sacred fire. It is not for those who turn away from battle. (3-44-4)
nāyajvabhir nānṛtakair na vedaśrutivarjitaiḥ। nānāplutāṅgais tīrtheṣu yajñadānabahiṣkṛtaiḥ ॥3-44-5॥
Sacrifices and gifts are not to be performed in sacred places by non-sacrificers, by those who speak untruth, by those excluded from hearing the Veda, or by those with various bodily deformities. (3-44-5)
nāpi yajñahanaiḥ kṣudrair draṣṭuṃ śakyaḥ kathaṃcana। pānapair gurutalpaiś ca māṃsādair vā durātmabhiḥ ॥3-44-6॥
He cannot be seen in any way by sacrificer-slayers, mean persons, drinkers, those who violate the teacher's bed, flesh-eaters, or evil-minded people. (3-44-6)
sa taddivyaṃ vanaṃ paśyandivyagītanināditam। praviveśa mahābāhuḥ śakrasya dayitāṃ purīm ॥3-44-7॥
He, beholding that divine forest resounding with celestial music, the mighty-armed entered the beloved city of Śakra. (3-44-7)
tatra devavimānāni kāmagāni sahasraśaḥ। saṃsthitānyabhiyātāni dadarśāyutaśastadā ॥3-44-8॥
There, he saw thousands and tens of thousands of divine aerial cars, moving at will, stationed and approaching at that time. (3-44-8)
saṁstūyamāno gandharvair apsarobhiś ca pāṇḍavaḥ। puṣpagandhavahaiḥ puṇyair vāyubhiś cānuvījitaḥ ॥3-44-9॥
The son of Pāṇḍu, praised by Gandharvas and Apsarases, was fanned by auspicious winds carrying the fragrance of flowers. (3-44-9)
tato devāḥ sagandharvāḥ siddhāś ca paramarṣayaḥ। hṛṣṭāḥ sampūjayāmāsuḥ pārtham akliṣṭakāriṇam ॥3-44-10॥
Then the gods, Gandharvas, Siddhas, and the great sages, being delighted, honored Arjuna, the performer of effortless deeds. (3-44-10)
āśīrvādaiḥ stūyamāno divya-vāditra-nisvanaiḥ। pratipede mahābāhuḥ śaṅkha-dundubhi-nāditam ॥3-44-11॥
While being praised with blessings and the sounds of divine musical instruments, the mighty-armed hero reached the place resounding with conch and drum. (3-44-11)
nakṣatramārgaṃ vipulaṃ suravīthīti viśrutam। indrājñayā yayau pārthaḥ stūyamānaḥ samantataḥ ॥3-44-12॥
By Indra's command, Pārtha proceeded along the vast and well-known star-path, the road of the gods, being praised on all sides. (3-44-12)
tatra sādhyās tathā viśve maruto’thāśvināv api। ādityā vasavo rudrās tathā brahmarṣayo’malāḥ ॥3-44-13॥
There were present the Sādhyas, the Viśve gods, the Maruts, then also the Aśvin twins, the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, and likewise the pure Brahmarṣis. (3-44-13)
rājarṣayaś ca bahavo dilīpapramukhā nṛpāḥ। tumburur nāradaś caiva gandharvau ca hahāhuhū ॥3-44-14॥
There were royal sages and many kings led by Dilīpa; also present were Tumburu, Nārada, and the two Gandharvas, Hahā and Hūhū. (3-44-14)
tān sarvān sa samāgamya vidhivat kurunandanaḥ। tato'paśyad devarājaṃ śatakratum ariṃdamam ॥3-44-15॥
Having properly approached all of them, the descendant of Kuru then saw the king of the gods, Indra, the destroyer of enemies. (3-44-15)
tataḥ pārtho mahābāhur avatīrya rathottamāt। dadarśa sākṣād devendraṃ pitaraṃ pākaśāsanam ॥3-44-16॥
Then mighty-armed Arjuna, the son of Pṛthā, after descending from the excellent chariot, saw his father Indra, the slayer of Pāka, standing before him. (3-44-16)
pāṇḍureṇātapatreṇa hemadaṇḍena cāruṇā। divyagandhādhivāsena vyajanena vidhūyatā ॥3-44-17॥
He was fanned with a beautiful white umbrella with a golden staff and with a fan perfumed with divine fragrance. (3-44-17)
viśvāvasu-prabhṛtibhir gandharvaiḥ stuti-vandanaiḥ। stūyamānaṃ dvijāgryaiś ca ṛg-yajuḥ-sāma-saṃstavaiḥ ॥3-44-18॥
He was being praised by the Gandharvas headed by Viśvāvasu with songs of praise and salutations, and also by the foremost Brāhmaṇas with hymns from the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas. (3-44-18)
tato'bhigamya kaunteyaḥ śirasā'bhyanamadbali. sa cainamanuvṛttābhyāṃ bhujābhyāṃ pratyagṛhṇata ॥3-44-19॥
Then, having approached, the strong son of Kunti bowed his head; and he received him with his two bent arms. (3-44-19)
tataḥ śakrāsane puṇye devarājarṣipūjite। śakraḥ pāṇau gṛhītvainamupāveśayadantike ॥3-44-20॥
Then, on the holy seat of Indra, which was worshipped by the king of gods and sages, Indra took him by the hand and made him sit close by. (3-44-20)
mūrdhni cainam upāghrāya devendraḥ paravīrahā। aṅkam āropayāmāsa praśrayāvanataṃ tadā ॥3-44-21॥
Then Indra, the destroyer of enemy heroes, after smelling him on the head, placed him, who was bowed down with humility, on his lap. (3-44-21)
sahasrākṣaniyogātsa pārthaḥ śakrāsanaṃ tadā। adhyakrāmadameyātmā dvitīya iva vāsavaḥ ॥3-44-22॥
Then, by the command of Sahasrākṣa (Indra), Pārtha (Arjuna), whose self was immeasurable, ascended the seat of Śakra (Indra), like a second Vāsava (Indra). (3-44-22)
tataḥ premṇā vṛtraśatrur arjunasya śubhaṃ mukham। pasparśa puṇyagandhena kareṇa parisāntvayan ॥3-44-23॥
Then, with affection, Indra (the enemy of Vṛtra) gently touched Arjuna's auspicious face with his fragrant hand, soothing him. (3-44-23)
parimārjamānaḥ śanakair bāhū cāsya āyatau śubhau। jyā-śara-kṣepa-kaṭhinau stambhau iva hiraṇmayau ॥3-44-24॥
He, wiping slowly, had long and beautiful arms, hard for drawing the bowstring and shooting arrows, like golden pillars. (3-44-24)
vajragrahaṇacihnena kareṇa balasūdanaḥ। muhurmuhurvajradharo bāhū saṃsphālayañśanaiḥ ॥3-44-25॥
The destroyer of strength, the vajra-holder, repeatedly and slowly struck his arms together with the hand marked by grasping the vajra. (3-44-25)
smayanniva guḍākeśaṃ prekṣamāṇaḥ sahasradṛk। harṣeṇotphullanayano na cātṛpyata vṛtrahā ॥3-44-26॥
Vṛtrahā (Indra), smiling as if at Guḍākeśa (Arjuna), gazed at him with eyes expanded in joy, and the thousand-eyed one was not satisfied (with looking at him). (3-44-26)
ekāsanopaviṣṭau tau śobhayāṃ cakratuḥ sabhām। sūryācandramasau vyomni caturdaśyām ivoditau ॥3-44-27॥
Seated together on one seat, those two made the assembly splendid, like the Sun and the Moon risen in the sky on the fourteenth day. (3-44-27)
tatra sma gāthā gāyanti sāmnā paramavalgunā। gandharvāstumbaruśreṣṭhāḥ kuśalā gītasāmasu ॥3-44-28॥
There, indeed, the Gandharvas, the foremost among Tumburu, skilled in song and Sāman, sing songs with supremely melodious Sāman. (3-44-28)
ghṛtācī menakā rambhā pūrvacittiḥ svayamprabhā। urvaśī miśrakeśī ca ḍuṇḍurgaurī varūthinī ॥3-44-29॥
Ghṛtācī, Menakā, Rambhā, Pūrvacittiḥ, Svayamprabhā, Urvaśī, Miśrakeśī, Ḍuṇḍurgaurī, and Varūthinī were (the apsarases). (3-44-29)
gopālī sahajanyā ca kumbhayoniḥ prajāgarā। citrasenā citralekhā sahā ca madhurasvarā ॥3-44-30॥
Gopālī, born together, and Kumbhayoni, ever-wakeful; Citrasenā, Citralekhā, with and sweet-voiced. (3-44-30)
etāś cānyāś ca nanṛtuḥ tatra tatra varāṅganāḥ। citta-pramathane yuktāḥ siddhānāṃ padma-locanāḥ ॥3-44-31॥
These and other excellent women, lotus-eyed, engaged in agitating the minds of the siddhas, danced here and there. (3-44-31)
mahā-kaṭi-taṭa-śroṇyaḥ kampamānaiḥ payodharaīḥ। kaṭākṣa-hāva-mādhuryaīś cetobuddhi-mano-harāḥ ॥3-44-32॥
Women with broad hips and quivering breasts, whose sidelong glances and graceful gestures are sweet, enchant the mind, intellect, and heart. (3-44-32)
