03.191

इन्द्रद्युम्नोपाख्यानम्

The story of Indradyumna.

वैशम्पायन उवाच॥

Vaiśampāyana said.

मार्कण्डेयमृषयः पाण्डवाश्च पर्यपृच्छन् अस्ति कश्चिद्भवतश्चिरजाततर इति ॥०३-१९१-१॥

Markandeya, the sages, and the Pandavas asked: "Is there anyone among you who was born before (is more elderly)?" (03-191-1)

स तानुवाच अस्ति खलु राजर्षिरिन्द्रद्युम्नो नाम क्षीणपुण्यस्त्रिदिवात्प्रच्युतः कीर्तिस्ते व्युच्छिन्नेति स मामुपातिष्ठत् अथ प्रत्यभिजानाति मां भवानिति ॥०३-१९१-२॥

He said to them: "There is indeed a royal sage named Indradyumna, whose merit is exhausted and who has fallen from heaven. Thus, your fame is destroyed." He approached me, and then you recognized me. (03-191-2)

तमहमब्रुवम् न वयं रासायनिकाः शरीरोपतापेनात्मनः समारभामहेऽर्थानामनुष्ठानम् ॥०३-१९१-३॥

I said to him: We are not alchemists, we do not undertake the performance of objectives by causing affliction to our own body. (03-191-3)

अस्ति खलु हिमवति प्राकारकर्णो नामोलूकः स भवन्तं यदि जानीयात् प्रकृष्टे चाध्वनि हिमवान् तत्रासौ प्रतिवसतीति ॥०३-१९१-४॥

Indeed, there is in Himavat a certain owl named Prākārakarṇa; if he knows you, on the excellent road to the Himalaya, he dwells there. (03-191-4)

स मामश्वो भूत्वा तत्रावहद्यत्र बभूवोलूकः ॥०३-१९१-५॥

He, having become a horse, brought me there, where he became an owl. (03-191-5)

अथैनं स राजर्षिः पर्यपृच्छत् प्रत्यभिजानाति मां भवानिति ॥०३-१९१-६॥

Then that royal sage questioned him in detail, saying, "Do you recognize me?" (03-191-6)

स मुहूर्तं ध्यात्वाब्रवीदेनम् नाभिजाने भवन्तमिति ॥०३-१९१-७॥

After meditating for a moment, he said to him, "I do not recognize you." (03-191-7)

स एवमुक्तो राजर्षिरिन्द्रद्युम्नः पुनस्तमुलूकमब्रवीत् अस्ति कश्चिद्भवतश्चिरजाततर इति ॥०३-१९१-८॥

Thus addressed, the royal sage Indradyumna again said to the owl: "Is there anyone older-born than you?" (03-191-8)

स एवमुक्तोऽब्रवीदेनम् अस्ति खल्विन्द्रद्युम्नसरो नाम तस्मिन्नाडीजङ्घो नाम बकः प्रतिवसति सोऽस्मत्तश्चिरजाततरः तं पृच्छेति ॥०३-१९१-९॥

Thus addressed, he said: "There is indeed a lake called Indradyumna, and in it dwells a heron named Nāḍījaṅgha. He is older than us; so ask him." (03-191-9)

तत इन्द्रद्युम्नो मां चोलूकं चादाय तत्सरोऽगच्छद्यत्रासौ नाडीजङ्घो नाम बको बभूव ॥०३-१९१-१०॥

Then Indradyumna, taking me and the owl, went to that lake where that heron named Nāḍījaṅgha was. (03-191-10)

सोऽस्माभिः पृष्टः भवानिन्द्रद्युम्नं राजानं प्रत्यभिजानातीति ॥०३-१९१-११॥

He has been asked by us, "Do you recognize King Indradyumna?" (03-191-11)

स एवमुक्तोऽब्रवीन्मुहूर्तं ध्यात्वा नाभिजानाम्यहमिन्द्रद्युम्नं राजानमिति ॥०३-१९१-१२॥

Thus addressed, he said after meditating for a moment: "I do not recognize Indradyumna the king thus." (03-191-12)

ततः सोऽस्माभिः पृष्टः अस्ति कश्चिदन्यो भवतश्चिरजाततर इति ॥०३-१९१-१३॥

Then we asked him: "Is there anyone else who was born before you?" (03-191-13)

स नोऽब्रवीदस्ति खल्विहैव सरस्यकूपारो नाम कच्छपः प्रतिवसति स मत्तश्चिरजाततर इति स यदि कथञ्चिदभिजानीयादिमं राजानं तमकूपारं पृच्छाम इति ॥०३-१९१-१४॥

He said to us: "Indeed, there is here in this lake a tortoise named Akūpāra. He has been living here much longer than I. If somehow he recognizes this king, then let us ask Akūpāra." (03-191-14)

ततः स बकस्तमकूपारं कच्छपं विज्ञापयामास अस्त्यस्माकमभिप्रेतं भवन्तं कञ्चिदर्थमभिप्रष्टुम् साध्वागम्यतां तावदिति ॥०३-१९१-१५॥

Then the heron said to that turtle: "There is something we desire to ask you; please come at once," thus. (03-191-15)

एतच्छ्रुत्वा स कच्छपस्तस्मात्सरस उत्थायाभ्यगच्छद्यत्र तिष्ठामो वयं तस्य सरसस्तीरे ॥०३-१९१-१६॥

Having heard this, the tortoise rose from that lake and came to where we were standing on the bank of that lake. (03-191-16)

आगतं चैनं वयमपृच्छाम भवानिन्द्रद्युम्नं राजानमभिजानातीति ॥०३-१९१-१७॥

When he arrived, we asked him, "Do you recognize King Indradyumna?" (03-191-17)

स मुहूर्तं ध्यात्वा बाष्पपूर्णनयन उद्विग्नहृदयो वेपमानो विसञ्ज्ञकल्पः प्राञ्जलिरब्रवीत् किमहमेनं न प्रत्यभिजानामि अहं ह्यनेन सहस्रकृत्वः पूर्वमग्निचितिषूपहितपूर्वः सरश्चेदमस्य दक्षिणादत्ताभिर्गोभिरतिक्रममाणाभिः कृतम् अत्र चाहं प्रतिवसामीति ॥०३-१९१-१८॥

He, after meditating for a moment, his eyes full of tears, heart agitated, trembling and appearing unconscious, with folded hands said: "Why do I not recognize him? I have, together with him, a thousand times before, provided offerings in fire sacrifices; and this lake, made by him with cows given as donations, crossed by such cows, I reside here." (03-191-18)

अथैतत्कच्छपेनोदाहृतं श्रुत्वा समनन्तरं देवलोकाद्देवरथः प्रादुरासीत् ॥०३-१९१-१९॥

Then, after hearing these words spoken by the turtle, Devaratha appeared at once from the world of the gods. (03-191-19)

वाचश्चाश्रूयन्तेन्द्रद्युम्नं प्रति प्रस्तुतस्ते स्वर्गः यथोचितं स्थानमभिपद्यस्व कीर्तिमानसि अव्यग्रो याहीति ॥०३-१९१-२०॥

Words are heard addressed to Indradyumna: "To you, heaven is ready; attain the appropriate place. You are renowned, go forth untroubled." (03-191-20)

दिवं स्पृशति भूमिं च शब्दः पुण्यस्य कर्मणः। यावत्स शब्दो भवति तावत्पुरुष उच्यते ॥०३-१९१-२१॥

The sound of a meritorious deed touches both heaven and earth; for as long as this sound exists, so long is a man remembered (or called a man). (03-191-21)

अकीर्तिः कीर्त्यते यस्य लोके भूतस्य कस्यचित्। पतत्येवाधमाँल्लोकान्यावच्छब्दः स कीर्त्यते ॥०३-१९१-२२॥

The ill-fame of a person, when spoken of in this world, causes him to fall to the lowest worlds—he keeps falling as long as his name is mentioned. (03-191-22)

तस्मात्कल्याणवृत्तः स्यादत्यन्ताय नरो भुवि। विहाय वृत्तं पापिष्ठं धर्ममेवाभिसंश्रयेत् ॥०३-१९१-२३॥

Therefore, a man on earth should have virtuous conduct for the highest good; having abandoned the most sinful conduct, he should resort only to righteousness. (03-191-23)

इत्येतच्छ्रुत्वा स राजाब्रवीत् तिष्ठ तावद्यावदिदानीमिमौ वृद्धौ यथास्थानं प्रतिपादयामीति ॥०३-१९१-२४॥

Having heard this, the king said: "Stay here for now, until I restore these two elders to their proper place." (03-191-24)

स मां प्राकारकर्णं चोलूकं यथोचिते स्थाने प्रतिपाद्य तेनैव यानेन संसिद्धो यथोचितं स्थानं प्रतिपन्नः ॥०३-१९१-२५॥

He placed me at the angle of the fort wall and the watchtower at the appropriate location, and then, having completed his task with that same vehicle, reached the suitable place. (03-191-25)

एतन्मयानुभूतं चिरजीविना दृष्टमिति पाण्डवानुवाच मार्कण्डेयः ॥०३-१९१-२६॥

Markandeya, as one who has lived long, said to the Pāṇḍavas, 'This has been experienced and seen by me.' (03-191-26)

पाण्डवाश्चोचुः प्रीताः साधु शोभनं कृतं भवता राजानमिन्द्रद्युम्नं स्वर्गलोकाच्च्युतं स्वे स्थाने स्वर्गे पुनः प्रतिपादयतेति ॥०३-१९१-२७॥

The Pāṇḍavas, pleased, said: "Well done! What you have done is excellent—you are restoring King Indradyumna, who had fallen from the heavenly world, once again to his proper place in heaven." (03-191-27)

अथैनानब्रवीदसौ ननु देवकीपुत्रेणापि कृष्णेन नरके मज्जमानो राजर्षिर्नृगस्तस्मात्कृच्छ्रात्समुद्धृत्य पुनः स्वर्गं प्रतिपादित इति ॥०३-१९१-२८॥

Then he said to him, "Indeed, by Devakī's son, that Kṛṣṇa, king-sage Nṛga, who was sinking in hell, was lifted out of that distress and again made to attain heaven," (03-191-28).