03.298
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tataste yakṣavacanādudatiṣṭhanta pāṇḍavāḥ। kṣutpipāse ca sarveṣāṃ kṣaṇe tasmin vyagacchatām ॥03-298-1॥
Then, following the Yakṣa's words, the Pāṇḍavas rose up, and in that very moment, everyone's hunger and thirst disappeared. (03-298-1)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
sarasyekena pādena tiṣṭhantam aparājitam। pṛcchāmi ko bhavān devaḥ na me yakṣaḥ mato bhavān॥03-298-2॥
Standing unconquered in the lake with one foot, I ask: Who are you, O revered one? I do not consider you to be a yaksha, but a god. (03-298-2)
vasūnāṃ vā bhavān eko rudrāṇām atha vā bhavān | atha vā marutāṃ śreṣṭho vajrī vā tridaśeśvaraḥ ॥03-298-3॥
You are either one of the Vasus, or one of the Rudras, or perhaps the foremost among the Maruts, the wielder of the thunderbolt, or the lord of the gods. (03-298-3)
mama hi bhrātara ime sahasraśatayodhinaḥ। na taṃ yogaṃ prapaśyāmi yena syurvinipātitāḥ॥03-298-4॥
Indeed, I do not see any means by which these brothers of mine, warriors in their hundreds and thousands, would be struck down. (03-298-4)
sukhaṁ prativibuddhānām indriyāṇi upalakṣaye। sa bhavān suhṛd asmākam atha vā naḥ pitā bhavān ॥03-298-5॥
I perceive happiness in the senses of those who are especially awakened. You are our friend, or rather, You are our father. (03-298-5)
yakṣa uvāca॥
The Yakṣa said.
ahaṃ te janakastāta dharmo mṛduparākrama। tvāṃ didṛkṣuranuprāpto viddhi māṃ bharatarṣabha ॥03-298-6॥
O best of the Bharatas, know me to be your father, dear child—Dharma, gentle in effort—who has come desiring to see you. (03-298-6)
yaśaḥ satyaṃ damaḥ śaucam ārjavaṃ hrīḥ acāpalam । dānaṃ tapaḥ brahmacaryam iti etāḥ tanavaḥ mama ॥03-298-7॥
Glory, truth, self-restraint, purity, honesty, modesty, absence of restlessness, charity, austerity, and celibacy—these are my forms. (03-298-7)
ahiṁsā samatā śāntis tapaḥ śaucam amatsaraḥ। dvārāṇi etāni me viddhi priyo hi asi sadā mama॥03-298-8॥
Know non-injury, equanimity, peace, austerity, purity, and absence of envy as my doors; you are always dear to me. (03-298-8)
diṣṭyā pañcasu rakto'si diṣṭyā te ṣaṭpadī jitā। dve pūrve madhyame dve ca dve cānte sāmparāyike ॥03-298-9॥
By good fortune, you have become victorious in all five stages; by good fortune, you have won the game of six-staked dice. Two at the beginning, two in the middle, and two at the end in this contest. (03-298-9)
dharmo'hamasmi bhadraṁ te jijñāsustvāmihāgataḥ. ānṛśaṁsyena tuṣṭo'smi varaṁ dāsyāmi te'nagha ॥03-298-10॥
I am righteousness; good fortune to you! You have come here, seeking knowledge. Because of your compassion I am pleased; I shall grant you a boon, O sinless one. (03-298-10)
varaṃ vṛṇīṣva rājendra dātā hyasmi tavānagha। ye hi me puruṣā bhaktā na teṣāmasti durgatiḥ॥03-298-11॥
O king, choose a boon. I am indeed your giver, O sinless one. For those men devoted to me, there is no misfortune for them. (03-298-11)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
araṇī-sahitaṃ yasya mṛga ādāya gacchati। tasyāgnayo na lupyeran prathamo'stu varo mama॥03-298-12॥
May the fires belonging to him from whom the deer goes carrying the fire-sticks not be lost; let this be my first boon. (03-298-12)
dharma uvāca॥
Dharma said;
araṇī-sahitaṁ tasya brāhmaṇasya hṛtaṁ mayā। mṛga-veṣeṇa kaunteya jijñāsārthaṁ tava prabho ॥03-298-13॥
The fire-sticks of that brāhmaṇa were taken by me together, in the form of a deer, O son of Kunti, for the purpose of testing you, O lord. (03-298-13)
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
dadānītyeva bhagavānuttaraṃ pratyapadyata. anyaṃ varaya bhadraṃ te varaṃ tvamamaropama ॥03-298-14॥
‘I shall give’, thus indeed, the Lord accepted the reply. Choose another boon which will be auspicious for you, for the boon you have chosen is already equal to that of the immortals. (03-298-14)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
varṣāṇi dvādaśāraṇye trayodaśamupasthitam। tatra no nābhijānīyurvasato manujāḥ kvacit ॥03-298-15॥
After twelve years in the forest, the thirteenth has arrived. There, no men should recognize us at any time while dwelling. (03-298-15)
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
dadānītyeva bhagavān uttaraṁ pratyapadyata। bhūyaś cāśvāsayāmāsa kaunteyaṁ satyavikramam ॥03-298-16॥
The Lord accepted the reply, "I shall give," and again encouraged Kaunteya, who was of true valor. (03-298-16)
yadyapi svena rūpeṇa cariṣyatha mahīm imām। na vo vijñāsyate kaścit triṣu lokeṣu bhārata॥03-298-17॥
O Bhārata, although you will move upon this earth in your own form, no one in the three worlds will recognize you. (03-298-17)
varṣaṃ trayodaśaṃ cedam matprasādāt kurūdvahāḥ. virāṭanagare gūḍhā avijñātāś cariṣyatha ॥03-298-18॥
O leaders of the Kuru, by my grace, in this thirteenth year, you will dwell hidden and unknown in the city of Virata. (03-298-18)
yad vaḥ saṅkalpitaṃ rūpaṃ manasā yasya yādṛśam। tādṛśaṃ tādṛśaṃ sarve chandato dhārayiṣyatha॥03-298-19॥
Whatever form each of you desires in your mind, such forms, all of you will be able to assume at will. (03-298-19)
araṇī-sahitaṁ ca idaṁ brāhmaṇāya prayacchata. jijñāsārthaṁ mayā hi etad āhṛtaṁ mṛga-rūpiṇā ॥03-298-20॥
Give these, along with the araṇi-sticks, to the Brāhmaṇa. It was indeed brought by me in the form of a deer for the sake of inquiry. (03-298-20)
tṛtīyaṃ gṛhyatāṃ putra varamapratimaṃ mahat। tvaṃ hi matprabhavo rājan viduraś ca mamāṃśabhāk॥03-298-21॥
O son, let the third, great and unequalled boon be accepted. For you, O king, are of my origin, and Vidura too partakes of my portion. (03-298-21)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhishthira said.
devadevo mayā dṛṣṭo bhavān sākṣāt sanātanaḥ। yaṃ dadāsi varaṃ tuṣṭas taṃ grahīṣyāmy ahaṃ pitaḥ॥03-298-22॥
O god of gods, you, the eternal one, have been seen directly by me. The boon which you offer me in your pleasure, that I shall accept, O father. (03-298-22)
jayeyaṃ lobhamohau ca krodhaṃ cāhaṃ sadā vibho. dāne tapasi satye ca mano me satataṃ bhavet ॥03-298-23॥
O Lord, may I always conquer greed, delusion, and anger; may my mind ever remain in charity, austerity, and truth. (03-298-23)
dharma uvāca॥
Dharma said.
upapanno guṇaiḥ sarvaiḥ svabhāvenāsi pāṇḍava। bhavān dharmaḥ punaś caiva yathoktaṃ te bhaviṣyati॥03-298-24॥
O Pāṇḍava, you are endowed with all qualities by your nature. You are indeed dharma itself, and, as has been declared, this will come to you again. (03-298-24)
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
ity-uktvā-antardadhe dharmo bhagavān loka-bhāvanaḥ। sametāḥ pāṇḍavāś ca eva sukha-su ptā manasvinaḥ॥03-298-25॥
Having thus spoken, Dharma, the revered creator of the worlds, disappeared. The noble-minded Pāṇḍavas, all together, slept comfortably. (03-298-25)
abhyetya cāśramaṃ vīrāḥ sarva eva gataklamāḥ. āraṇeyaṃ dadustasmai brāhmaṇāya tapasvine ॥03-298-26॥
Having come to the hermitage, all the heroes, their fatigue gone, gave the fire produced by friction of sticks to the ascetic Brahmin. (03-298-26)
idaṁ samutthānasamāgamaṁ maha; t pituś ca putrasya ca kīrtivardhanam। paṭhannaraḥ syād vijitendriyo vaśī; saputrapautraḥ śatavarṣabhāgbhavet ॥03-298-27॥
This great union of auspicious ascent, increasing the fame of both father and son—whoever recites it, being self-controlled with mastered senses, may enjoy with sons and grandsons a lifespan of a hundred years. (03-298-27)
na cāpy adharme na suhṛd-vibhedane; parasvahāre paradāramarśane. kadaryabhāve na ramet manaḥ sadā; nṛṇāṃ sadākhyānam idaṃ vijānatām ॥03-298-28॥
Let the mind never delight in unrighteousness, in creating disputes among friends, in seizing others' wealth, in coveting others' wives, or in a miserly spirit—this is the unchanging rule for the wise among men. (03-298-28)
