15.026
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tatastasmin muniśreṣṭhā rājānaṃ draṣṭum abhyayuḥ. nāradaḥ parvataś caiva devalaś ca mahātapāḥ ॥15-26-1॥
Then, at that time, the foremost sages Nārada, Parvata, and Devala, who were great ascetics, came to see the king. (15-26-1)
dvaipāyanaḥ saśiṣyaś ca siddhāś cānye manīṣiṇaḥ। śatayūpaś ca rājarṣir vṛddhaḥ paramadhārmikaḥ ॥15-26-2॥
Dvaipayana with his disciples and other perfected, wise sages, and Śatayūpa, the elderly royal sage of supreme righteousness; (15-26-2)
teṣāṃ kuntī mahārāja pūjāṃ cakre yathāvidhi. te cāpi tutuṣus tasyās tāpasāḥ paricaryayā ॥15-26-3॥
O great king, Kuntī performed honors for them according to the prescribed rules, and those ascetics were also satisfied with her service. (15-26-3)
tatra dharmyāḥ kathās tāta cakrus te paramarṣayaḥ। ramayanto mahātmānaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ janādhipam॥15-26-4॥
There, those great sages, O dear, told righteous stories to delight Dhritarashtra, the great-souled lord of the people. (15-26-4)
kathāntare tu kasmiṃścid devarṣir nāradas tadā। kathām imām akathayat sarva-pratyakṣa-darśivān ॥15-26-5॥
But in another story—at some time—the divine sage Nārada, who had witnessed everything directly, narrated this very tale. (15-26-5)
purā prajāpatisamo rājāsīdakutobhayaḥ। sahasracitya ityuktaḥ śatayūpapitāmahaḥ ॥15-26-6॥
Once upon a time, there was a king, equal to Prajāpati and fearless from all quarters. Known as Sahasracitya, he was the ancestor of Śatayūpa. (15-26-6)
sa putre rājyam āsajya jyeṣṭhe paramadhārmike| sahasracitiyo dharmātmā praviveśa vanaṃ nṛpaḥ ||15-26-7||
Having entrusted the kingdom to his supremely righteous eldest son, the righteous king who had performed a thousand sacrifices entered the forest. (15-26-7)
sa gatvā tapasaḥ pāraṃ dīptasya sa narādhipaḥ। puraṃdarasya saṃsthānaṃ pratipede mahāmanāḥ ॥15-26-8॥
That great-minded king, having reached the end of blazing penance, attained the abode of Purandara (Indra). (15-26-8)
dṛṣṭapūrvaḥ sa bahuśo rājan-sampatatā mayā। mahendrasadane rājā tapasā dagdhakilbiṣaḥ ॥15-26-9॥
O king, that person has been seen many times before by me; having come into Indra's palace, the king, whose sins were burnt by penance. (15-26-9)
tathā śailālayo rājā bhagadattapitāmahaḥ। tapobalenaiva nṛpo mahendrasadanaṃ gataḥ॥15-26-10॥
Thus, the mountain-dwelling king, the grandfather of Bhagadatta, by the very power of his austerities, went to the abode of Mahendra (Indra). (15-26-10)
tathā pṛṣadhro nāmāsīd rājā vajradharo'pamaḥ। sa cāpi tapasā lebhe nākapṛṣṭham ito nṛpaḥ॥15-26-11॥
In this way, there was a king named Pṛṣadhra, who was like the wielder of the thunderbolt. This king too attained heaven from here through his austerities. (15-26-11)
asminn araṇye nṛpate māndhātur api cātmajaḥ. purukutsō nṛpaḥ siddhiṃ mahatīṃ samavāptavān ॥15-26-12॥
O king, in this forest, the son of Māndhātṛ, King Purukutsa, also attained great success. (15-26-12)
bhāryā samabhavad yasya narmadā saritāṃ varā। so'sminn araṇye nṛpatis tapas taptvā divaṃ gataḥ ॥15-26-13॥
His wife, Narmadā, the best of rivers, was born to him. That king, having performed austerity in this forest, attained heaven. (15-26-13)
śaśalomā ca nāmāsīd rājā paramadhārmikaḥ. sa cāpy asmin vane taptvā tapo divam avāptavān ॥15-26-14॥
There was a king named Śaśalomā, very virtuous. He also, having performed austerities in this forest, attained heaven. (15-26-14)
dvaipāyanaprasādācca tvam apīdaṃ tapovanam। rājann avāpya duṣprāpāṃ siddhim agryāṃ gamiṣyasi ॥15-26-15॥
O king, through the favor of Dvaipayana, you too, by attaining this very challenging forest of asceticism, will achieve the supreme perfection. (15-26-15)
tvaṃ cāpi rājaśārdūla tapaso'nte śriyā vṛtaḥ. gāndhārīsahito gantā gatiṃ teṣāṃ mahātmanām ॥15-26-16॥
You too, O best of kings, when your austerities are complete and surrounded by glory, together with Gāndhārī, will follow the path of those great souls. (15-26-16)
pāṇḍuḥ smarati nityaṃ ca balahantuḥ samīpataḥ। tvāṃ sadaiva mahīpāla sa tvāṃ śreyasi yokṣyati॥15-26-17॥
Pāṇḍu always remembers, and Balahantuḥ being near; you, O king, he will always employ in what is good for you. (15-26-17)
tava śuśrūṣayā caiva gāndhāryāś ca yaśasvinī. bhartuḥ salokatāṃ kuntī gamiṣyati vadhūs tava ॥15-26-18॥
Through your service and that of illustrious Gandhari, Kunti, your husband's wife, will attain to the same world as her husband. (15-26-18)
yudhiṣṭhirasya jananī sa hi dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ। vayam etat prapaśyāmo nṛpate divyacakṣuṣā ॥15-26-19॥
She who is the mother of Yudhiṣṭhira is indeed the eternal Dharma. O king, we perceive this with divine vision. (15-26-19)
pravekṣyati mahātmānaṃ viduraś ca yudhiṣṭhiram। sañjayas tvadanudhyānāt pūtaḥ svargam avāpsyati ॥15-26-20॥
The great-souled one, Vidura, will enter Yudhishthira, and Sanjaya, purified by his constant meditation on you, will attain heaven. (15-26-20)
etac chrutvā kauravendro mahātmā; sahaiva patnyā prītimān pratyagṛhṇāt. vidvān vākyaṃ nāradasya praśasya; cakre pūjāṃ cātulāṃ nāradāya ॥15-26-21॥
Hearing this, the great-souled king of the Kauravas, together with his wife, joyfully accepted. The learned one praised Nārada's words and offered Nārada exceptional honor. (15-26-21)
tathā sarve nāradaṃ viprasaṅghāḥ; sampūjayāmāsaratīva rājan. rājñaḥ prītyā dhṛtarāṣṭrasya te vai; punaḥ punaḥ samahṛṣṭāstadānīm ॥15-26-22॥
Thus, all the groups of Brāhmaṇas honoured Nārada exceedingly, O king. With the pleasure of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, they again and again became very delighted at that time. (15-26-22)
