03.191

indradyumnopākhyānam

The story of Indradyumna.

vaiśampāyana uvāca॥

Vaiśampāyana said.

mārkaṇḍeyam ṛṣayaḥ pāṇḍavāś ca paryapṛcchan asti kaścid bhavataś cirajātatara iti ॥03-191-1॥

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

sa tānuvāca asti khalu rājarṣirindradyumno nāma kṣīṇapuṇyas tridivāt pracyutaḥ kīrtis te vyucchinne ti sa mām upātiṣṭhat atha pratyabhijānāti māṃ bhavān iti ॥03-191-2॥

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)

tam aham abruvam na vayaṃ rāsāyanikāḥ śarīropatāpena ātmanaḥ samārabhamahe 'rthānām anuṣṭhānam ॥03-191-3॥

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)

asti khalu himavati prākārakarṇo nāmolūkaḥ sa bhavantaṃ yadi jānīyāt prakṛṣṭe cādhvani himavān tatrāsau prativasatīti ॥03-191-4॥

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)

sa māmaśvo bhūtvā tatrāvahadyatra babhūvolūkaḥ ॥03-191-5॥

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

athainaṁ sa rājarṣiḥ paryapṛcchat pratyabhijānāti māṁ bhavān iti ॥03-191-6॥

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

sa muhūrtaṃ dhyātvā abravīd enam na abhijānē bhavantam iti ॥03-191-7॥

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

sa evam-ukto rājarṣir-indradyumnaḥ punas tam ulūkam abravīt asti kaścid bhavataś cirajāta-tara iti ॥03-191-8॥

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

sa evam-ukto'bravīd-enam asti khalv-indra-dyumna-saro nāma tasmin nāḍī-jaṅgho nāma bakaḥ prativasati saḥ asmataḥ ca cirajāta-taraḥ tam pṛccha iti ॥03-191-9॥

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)

tat indraḍyumno māṁ colūkaṁ cādāya tatsaro'gacchadyatrāsau nāḍījaṅgho nāma bako babhūva ॥03-191-10॥

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

so'smābhiḥ pṛṣṭaḥ bhavān indradyumnaṃ rājānaṃ pratyabhijānāti iti ॥03-191-11॥

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

sa evam uktaḥ abravīt muhūrtam dhyātvā na abhijānāmi aham indradyumnam rājānam iti ॥03-191-12॥

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

tataḥ so'smābhiḥ pṛṣṭaḥ asti kaścidanyo bhavataścirajātatara iti ॥03-191-13॥

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

sa no'bravīd asti khalv ihaiva sarasy akūpāro nāma kacchapaḥ prativasati sa mattaś cirajātatara iti sa yadi kathañcid abhijānīyād imaṃ rājānaṃ tam akūpāraṃ pṛcchāma iti ॥03-191-14॥

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)

tataḥ sa bakas tam akūpāraṃ kacchapam vijñāpayām āsa asti asmākam abhipretaṃ bhavantaṃ kañcid artham abhipraṣṭum sādhv āgamyatāṃ tāvad iti ॥03-191-15॥

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

etat śrutvā sa kacchapaḥ tasmāt sarasa utthāya abhyagacchat yatra tiṣṭhāmaḥ vayaṃ tasya sarasaḥ tīre ॥03-191-16॥

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)

āgataṁ ca enaṁ vayam-apṛcchāma bhavān-indradyumnaṁ rājānam-abhijānāti iti ॥03-191-17॥

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

sa muhūrtaṃ dhyātvā bāṣpapūrṇanayana udvignahṛdayaḥ vepamānaḥ visañjñakalpaḥ prāñjalir abravīt kim aham enaṃ na pratyabhijānāmi ahaṃ hy anena sahasrakṛtvaḥ pūrvam agnicitiṣu upahitapūrvaḥ saraḥ ca idam asya dakṣiṇādattābhiḥ gobhiḥ atikramamāṇābhiḥ kṛtam atra ca ahaṃ prativasāmīti ॥03-191-18॥

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)

athaitatkacchapenodāhṛtaṃ śrutvā samanantaraṃ devalokād devarathaḥ prādurāsīt ॥03-191-19॥

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

vācaś cāśrūyante indradyumnaṃ prati prastutaḥ te svargaḥ yathocitaṃ sthānam abhipadyasva kīrtimān asi avyagraḥ yāhi iti ॥03-191-20॥

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

divaṃ spṛśati bhūmiṃ ca śabdaḥ puṇyasya karmaṇaḥ। yāvatsa śabdo bhavati tāvatpuruṣa ucyate ॥03-191-21॥

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)

akīrtiḥ kīrtyate yasya loke bhūtasya kasyacit. patatyevādhamāṁllokānyāvacchabdaḥ sa kīrtyate ॥03-191-22॥

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)

tasmātkalyāṇavṛttaḥ syādatyantāya naro bhuvi। vihāya vṛttaṃ pāpiṣṭhaṃ dharmamevābhisaṃśrayet ॥03-191-23॥

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)

ity etac chrutvā sa rājā abravīt tiṣṭha tāvat yāvat idānīm imau vṛddhau yathā-sthānaṃ pratipādayāmi iti ॥03-191-24॥

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

sa māṃ prākārakarṇaṃ colūkaṃ yathocite sthāne pratipādya tenaiva yānena saṃsiddho yathocitaṃ sthānaṃ pratipannaḥ ॥03-191-25॥

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)

etan mayānubhūtaṁ cirajīvinā dṛṣṭam iti pāṇḍavān uvāca mārkaṇḍeyaḥ ॥03-191-26॥

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

pāṇḍavāś cocuḥ prītāḥ sādhu śobhanaṃ kṛtaṃ bhavatā rājānam indradyumnaṃ svargalokāc cyutaṃ sve sthāne svarge punaḥ pratipādayateti ॥03-191-27॥

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)

athainān abravīd asau nanu devakī-putreṇa api kṛṣṇena narake majjamānaḥ rājarṣiḥ nṛgaḥ tasmāt kṛcchrāt samuddhṛtya punaḥ svargaṃ pratipādita iti ॥03-191-28॥

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).