03.091
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tataḥ prayāntaṃ kaunteyaṃ brāhmaṇā vanavāsinaḥ। abhigamya tadā rājannidaṃ vacanam abruvan॥03-91-1॥
Then, as Kaunteya was departing, the forest-dwelling Brahmanas approached and, O King, said these words. (03-91-1)
rājan tīrthāni gantāsi puṇyāni bhrātṛbhiḥ saha। devarṣiṇā ca sahito lomaśena mahātmanā ॥03-91-2॥
O king, you will visit the holy places with your brothers, accompanied by the divine sage Lomaśa, the great-souled one. (03-91-2)
asmān api mahārāja netum arhasi pāṇḍava। asmābhir hi na shakyāni tvadṛte tāni kaurava॥03-91-3॥
O great king, O son of Pāṇḍu, you ought to lead us as well. For indeed, without you, we are not able to accomplish those things, O Kaurava. (03-91-3)
śvāpadair upasṛṣṭāni durgāṇi viṣamāṇi ca। agam yāni narair alpais tīrthāni manujeśvara ॥03-91-4॥
O lord of men, the difficult and rough places, infested by wild animals, and the fords are inaccessible to men when they are few. (03-91-4)
bhavanto bhrātaraḥ śūrā dhanurdharavarāḥ sadā। bhavadbhiḥ pālitāḥ śūrairgacchema vayamapyuta ॥03-91-5॥
You, brothers, who are always valiant and the best among archers, protected by you who are brave, may we also proceed indeed. (03-91-5)
bhavatprasādāddhi vayaṃ prāpnuyāma phalaṃ śubham। tīrthānāṃ pṛthivīpāla vratānāṃ ca viśāṃ pate ॥03-91-6॥
O protector of the earth, O lord of men, it is indeed by your favor that we may obtain the auspicious result of pilgrimages and vows. (03-91-6)
tava vīryaparitrātāḥ śuddhās tīrthapariplutāḥ। bhavema dhūtapāpmānas tīrthasaṃdarśanān nṛpa ॥03-91-7॥
O king, may we, protected by your vigor, purified and bathed in the sacred fords, become those whose sins are washed away by seeing the sacred fords. (03-91-7)
bhavān api narendrasya kārtavīryasya bhārata। aṣṭakasya ca rājarṣer lomapādasya caiva ha ॥03-91-8॥
You too, O Bhārata, know of King Kārtavīrya, Aṣṭaka, and the royal sage Lomapāda, indeed. (03-91-8)
bharatasya ca vīrasya sārvabhaumasya pārthiva। dhruvaṃ prāpsyasi duṣprāpāṃllokāṃstīrthapariplutaḥ॥03-91-9॥
O king, as the heroic and universal ruler descended from Bharata, you will surely attain those worlds that are hard to reach, being purified by immersion in holy places. (03-91-9)
prabhāsādīni tīrthāni mahendrādīṁś ca parvatān। gaṅgādyāḥ saritaś caiva plakṣādīṁś ca vanaspatīn ॥ tvayā saha mahīpāla draṣṭum icchāmahe vayam ॥03-91-10॥
O king, we desire to see, together with you, Prabhāsa and other holy places, Mahendra and other mountains, Gaṅgā and other rivers, and Plakṣa and other trees. (03-91-10)
yadi te brāhmaṇeṣv asti kācit prītir janādhipa। kuru kṣipraṃ vaco'smākaṃ tataḥ śreyo'bhipatsyase ॥03-91-11॥
O king, if you have any affection for the Brāhmaṇas, quickly carry out our request; then you will attain benefit. (03-91-11)
tīrthāni hi mahābāho tapovighnakaraiḥ sadā। anukīrṇāni rakṣobhistebhyo nas trātum arhasi॥03-91-12॥
O mighty-armed one, the sacred places are always filled with demons who hinder asceticism. You ought to protect us from them. (03-91-12)
tīrthāny uktāni dhaumyena nāradena ca dhīmatā। yāny uvāca ca devarṣir lomaśaḥ sumahātapāḥ॥03-91-13॥
The sacred fords described by Dhaumya, wise Nārada, and also by the divine sage Lomaśa of great austerity, (03-91-13)
vidhivattāni sarvāṇi paryaṭasva narādhipa। dhūtapāpmā sahāsmābhir lomaśena ca pālitaḥ॥03-91-14॥
O king, wander everywhere in the proper manner. Purified of sin, you are protected by us along with Lomaśa. (03-91-14)
sa tathā pūjyamānas tair harṣād aśrupariplutaḥ। bhīmasenādibhir vīrair bhrātṛbhiḥ parivāritaḥ ॥ bāḍham ity abravīt sarvān tān ṛṣīn pāṇḍavarṣabhaḥ ॥03-91-15॥
He, thus honored by them and filled with tears of joy, surrounded by his heroic brothers including Bhīmasena, the bull among the Pāṇḍavas, said "Certainly" to all those sages. (03-91-15)
lomaśaṃ samanujñāpya dhaumyaṃ caiva purohitam। tataḥ sa pāṇḍavaśreṣṭho bhrātṛbhiḥ sahito vaśī॥ draupadyā cānavadyāṅgyā gamanāya mano dadhe॥03-91-16॥
Having taken leave of Lomaśa and of Dhaumya the priest, then that best of the Pāṇḍavas, self-controlled, together with his brothers and Draupadī of flawless limbs, resolved in his mind to depart. (03-91-16)
atha vyāso mahābhāgastathā nāradaparvatau। kāmyake pāṇḍavaṃ draṣṭuṃ samājagmurmanīṣiṇaḥ॥03-91-17॥
Then the greatly fortunate Vyāsa, along with Nārada and Parvata, wise ones, approached Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira) in the Kāmyaka forest to see him. (03-91-17)
teṣāṃ yudhiṣṭhiro rājā pūjāṃ cakre yathāvidhi। satkṛtās te mahābhāgā yudhiṣṭhiram athābruvan ॥03-91-18॥
King Yudhiṣṭhira honored them in accordance with the proper rites. Having been thus honored, those greatly fortunate ones then spoke to Yudhiṣṭhira. (03-91-18)
yudhiṣṭhira yamau bhīma manasā kurutārjavam। manasā kṛtaśaucā vai śuddhāstīrthāni gacchata ॥03-91-19॥
Yudhishthira, the two brothers, and Bhima, do uprightness with your mind. Having achieved purity of mind, go as pure ones to the holy places. (03-91-19)
śarīraniyamaṃ hy āhur brāhmaṇā mānuṣaṃ vratam. manoviśuddhāṃ buddhiṃ ca daivam āhur vrataṃ dvijāḥ ॥03-91-20॥
The Brāhmaṇas declare that discipline of the body constitutes a human vow; a purified mind and intellect is said by the twice-born to be the divine vow. (03-91-20)
mano hy aduṣṭaṃ śūrāṇāṃ paryāptaṃ vai narādhipa। maitrīṃ buddhiṃ samāsthāya śuddhās tīrthāni gacchata ॥03-91-21॥
O king, indeed, a mind that is not wicked is sufficient for the brave. Embracing friendship and a pure mind, go to the sacred places. (03-91-21)
te yūyaṁ manasaiḥ śuddhāḥ śarīra-niyama-vrataiḥ। daivaṁ vrataṁ samāsthāya yathoktaṁ phalam āpsyatha ॥03-91-22॥
Therefore, you, being purified in mind and by vows of bodily discipline, having undertaken the divine vow as stated, will obtain the result as described. (03-91-22)
te tatheti pratijñāya kṛṣṇayā saha pāṇḍavāḥ। kṛtasvastyayanāḥ sarve munibhir divyamānuṣaiḥ॥03-91-23॥
The Pāṇḍavas, having promised thus along with Kṛṣṇā, all performed auspicious rites attended by sages—both divine and human. (03-91-23)
lomaśasyopasaṅgṛhya pādau dvaipāyanasya ca. nāradasya ca rājendra devarṣeḥ parvatasya ca ॥03-91-24॥
He embraced the feet of Lomaśa, Dvaipāyana, Nārada, and of the divine sage Parvata, O king. (03-91-24)
dhaumyana sahitā vīrās tathā-anyair vanavāsibhiḥ। mārgaśīrṣyām atītāyām puṣyeṇa prayayus tataḥ॥03-91-25॥
Joined by Dhaumya, the heroes, along with other forest-dwellers, set out when the month of Mārgaśīrṣa had passed and the Puṣya constellation had arrived. (03-91-25)
kaṭhināni samādāya cīrājinajaṭādharāḥ। abhedyaiḥ kavacairyuktāstīrthānyanvacaraṃstadā॥03-91-26॥
Then, having taken hard things, wearing bark-cloth, deer-skin, and matted hair, and equipped with impenetrable armours, they visited the sacred places. (03-91-26)
indrasenādibhirbhṛtyai rathaiḥ paricaturdaśaiḥ। mahānasavyāpṛtaiśca tathānyaiḥ paricārakaiḥ॥03-91-27॥
Attended by Indrasena and others, by his servants, with fourteen chariots, by those engaged in the kitchen and other attendants. (03-91-27)
sāyudhā baddhaniṣṭriṁśās tūṇavantaḥ samārgaṇāḥ। prāṅmukhāḥ prayayurvīrāḥ pāṇḍavā janamejaya ॥03-91-28॥
O Janamejaya, the heroic Pāṇḍavas, armed, with girded swords, wearing quivers full of arrows, and facing east, set out. (03-91-28)
