15.036
पुत्रदर्शनपर्व
Section concerning the seeing of the son
जनमेजय उवाच॥
Janamejaya said.
वनवासं गते विप्र धृतराष्ट्रे महीपतौ। सभार्ये नृपशार्दूले वध्वा कुन्त्या समन्विते ॥१५-३६-१॥
O brāhmaṇa, when Dhṛtarāṣṭra the king went into exile in the forest with his wife, and was accompanied by queen Kuntī—O tiger among kings—(this happened). (15-36-1)
विदुरे चापि संसिद्धे धर्मराजं व्यपाश्रिते। वसत्सु पाण्डुपुत्रेषु सर्वेष्वाश्रममण्डले ॥१५-३६-२॥
After Vidura attained perfection, and Dharma-rāja (Yudhishthira) had been entrusted there, while all the sons of Pandu dwelt in the group of hermitages. (15-36-2)
यत्तदाश्चर्यमिति वै करिष्यामीत्युवाच ह। व्यासः परमतेजस्वी महर्षिस्तद्वदस्व मे ॥१५-३६-३॥
He said, "That which is the wonder, indeed I shall do thus." Vyāsa, the most resplendent great sage, please tell that to me. (15-36-3)
वनवासे च कौरव्यः कियन्तं कालमच्युतः। युधिष्ठिरो नरपतिर्न्यवसत्सजनो द्विज ॥१५-३६-४॥
O twice-born, O steadfast one, how long did Yudhishthira, the king, descendant of Kuru, dwell with his people in the forest? (15-36-4)
किमाहाराश्च ते तत्र ससैन्या न्यवसन्प्रभो। सान्तःपुरा महात्मान इति तद्ब्रूहि मेऽनघ ॥१५-३६-५॥
What foods did they consume, and how did those great souls reside there with their armies and consorts? Tell me that, O sinless one. (15-36-5)
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
तेऽनुज्ञातास्तदा राजन्कुरुराजेन पाण्डवाः। विविधान्यन्नपानानि विश्राम्यानुभवन्ति ते ॥१५-३६-६॥
O king, having been permitted by the King of the Kurus, the Pāṇḍavas, after resting, enjoy various kinds of food and drink. (15-36-6)
मासमेकं विजह्रुस्ते ससैन्यान्तःपुरा वने। अथ तत्रागमद्व्यासो यथोक्तं ते मयानघ ॥१५-३६-७॥
They spent one month in the forest together with their army and the inner attendants. Then, O sinless one, Vyāsa arrived there just as I have told you. (15-36-7)
तथा तु तेषां सर्वेषां कथाभिर्नृपसंनिधौ। व्यासमन्वासतां राजन्नाजग्मुर्मुनयोऽपरे ॥१५-३६-८॥
Thus, O king, while all of them remained with Vyāsa, in the presence of the king with various stories, other sages arrived. (15-36-8)
नारदः पर्वतश्चैव देवलश्च महातपाः। विश्वावसुस्तुम्बुरुश्च चित्रसेनश्च भारत ॥१५-३६-९॥
Nārada, Parvata, Devala, the great ascetics, Viśvāvasu, Tumburu, and Citrasena, O Bhārata. (15-36-9)
तेषामपि यथान्यायं पूजां चक्रे महामनाः। धृतराष्ट्राभ्यनुज्ञातः कुरुराजो युधिष्ठिरः ॥१५-३६-१०॥
Having been permitted by Dhritarashtra, the great-minded Kuru king Yudhishthira honored even them according to propriety. (15-36-10)
निषेदुस्ते ततः सर्वे पूजां प्राप्य युधिष्ठिरात्। आसनेष्वथ पुण्येषु बर्हिष्केषु वरेषु च ॥१५-३६-११॥
Thereafter, all of them, having received honor from Yudhishthira, sat down on auspicious, excellent seats made of sacred grass. (15-36-11)
तेषु तत्रोपविष्टेषु स तु राजा महामतिः। पाण्डुपुत्रैः परिवृतो निषसाद कुरूद्वहः ॥१५-३६-१२॥
There, among those who were seated, the great-minded king, surrounded by the sons of Paṇḍu, the glory of the Kurus, sat down. (15-36-12)
गान्धारी चैव कुन्ती च द्रौपदी सात्वती तथा। स्त्रियश्चान्यास्तथान्याभिः सहोपविविशुस्ततः ॥१५-३६-१३॥
Gāndhārī, Kuntī, Draupadī, and Sātvati, along with other women, also sat down there together. (15-36-13)
तेषां तत्र कथा दिव्या धर्मिष्ठाश्चाभवन्नृप। ऋषीणां च पुराणानां देवासुरविमिश्रिताः ॥१५-३६-१४॥
O king, there were among them divine and highly righteous narratives, and stories of sages and the ancient ones, mingled with gods and asuras. (15-36-14)
ततः कथान्ते व्यासस्तं प्रज्ञाचक्षुषमीश्वरम्। प्रोवाच वदतां श्रेष्ठः पुनरेव स तद्वचः ॥ प्रीयमाणो महातेजाः सर्ववेदविदां वरः ॥१५-३६-१५॥
Then, at the end of the discourse, Vyāsa—the foremost among speakers, the best of all knowers of the Vedas, of great brilliance—being pleased, again addressed that lord possessed of the eye of wisdom with these words. (15-36-15)
विदितं मम राजेन्द्र यत्ते हृदि विवक्षितम्। दह्यमानस्य शोकेन तव पुत्रकृतेन वै ॥१५-३६-१६॥
O king, I know what you wished to say in your heart, as you are indeed being consumed by grief for your son. (15-36-16)
गान्धार्याश्चैव यद्दुःखं हृदि तिष्ठति पार्थिव। कुन्त्याश्च यन्महाराज द्रौपद्याश्च हृदि स्थितम् ॥१५-३६-१७॥
O king, the sorrow that remains in the heart of Gandhari, and also that which is in the heart of Kunti and Draupadi, O great king. (15-36-17)
यच्च धारयते तीव्रं दुःखं पुत्रविनाशजम्। सुभद्रा कृष्णभगिनी तच्चापि विदितं मम ॥१५-३६-१८॥
And the intense suffering, arising from the loss of her son, which Subhadrā, the sister of Kṛṣṇa, endures—that too is known to me. (15-36-18)
श्रुत्वा समागममिमं सर्वेषां वस्ततो नृप। संशयच्छेदनायाहं प्राप्तः कौरवनन्दन ॥१५-३६-१९॥
O king, having truly heard of this assembly of all, I have arrived, O delight of the Kauravas, for the removal of doubt. (15-36-19)
इमे च देवगन्धर्वाः सर्वे चैव महर्षयः। पश्यन्तु तपसो वीर्यमद्य मे चिरसम्भृतम् ॥१५-३६-२०॥
Let all these devas and gandharvas, as well as all the great sages, witness today the energy of my long-accumulated austerity. (15-36-20)
तदुच्यतां महाबाहो कं कामं प्रदिशामि ते। प्रवणोऽस्मि वरं दातुं पश्य मे तपसो बलम् ॥१५-३६-२१॥
O mighty-armed, let that wish be spoken which you want—I am ready to grant you a boon. See the power of my austerity. (15-36-21)
एवमुक्तः स राजेन्द्रो व्यासेनामितबुद्धिना। मुहूर्तमिव सञ्चिन्त्य वचनायोपचक्रमे ॥१५-३६-२२॥
Thus addressed by Vyāsa of limitless intelligence, the king, after reflecting for a moment, began to speak. (15-36-22)
धन्योऽस्म्यनुगृहीतोऽस्मि सफलं जीवितं च मे। यन्मे समागमोऽद्येह भवद्भिः सह साधुभिः ॥१५-३६-२३॥
I am blessed, I am favored, and my life is fulfilled because today I have met you here, together with other virtuous ones. (15-36-23)
अद्य चाप्यवगच्छामि गतिमिष्टामिहात्मनः। भवद्भिर्ब्रह्मकल्पैर्यत्समेतोऽहं तपोधनाः ॥१५-३६-२४॥
Today, I also understand the desired path here for the self, which I have attained by joining with you, O ascetics equal to Brahmā. (15-36-24)
दर्शनादेव भवतां पूतोऽहं नात्र संशयः। विद्यते न भयं चापि परलोकान्ममानघाः ॥१५-३६-२५॥
Truly, by just seeing you I have been purified; there is no doubt about this. Nor do I have any fear of the afterlife, O sinless ones. (15-36-25)
किं तु तस्य सुदुर्बुद्धेर्मन्दस्यापनयैर्भृशम्। दूयते मे मनो नित्यं स्मरतः पुत्रगृद्धिनः ॥१५-३६-२६॥
However, my mind is exceedingly afflicted always as I remember that very dull, ill-intentioned one and his greed for sons. (15-36-26)
अपापाः पाण्डवा येन निकृताः पापबुद्धिना। घातिता पृथिवी चेयं सहसा सनरद्विपा ॥१५-३६-२७॥
By whom the blameless Pāṇḍavas were deceitfully wronged with a wicked mind, and this earth, along with men and elephants, was suddenly destroyed. (15-36-27)
राजानश्च महात्मानो नानाजनपदेश्वराः। आगम्य मम पुत्रार्थे सर्वे मृत्युवशं गताः ॥१५-३६-२८॥
Kings, great-souled men, the lords of various lands—all came for my son's sake, and all have succumbed to death. (15-36-28)
ये ते पुत्रांश्च दाराश्च प्राणांश्च मनसः प्रियान्। परित्यज्य गताः शूराः प्रेतराजनिवेशनम् ॥१५-३६-२९॥
Those heroes who, abandoning sons, wives, their lives, and all that was dear to their minds, have departed to the abode of the king of the dead (Yama). (15-36-29)
का नु तेषां गतिर्ब्रह्मन्मित्रार्थे ये हता मृधे। तथैव पुत्रपौत्राणां मम ये निहता युधि ॥१५-३६-३०॥
O brāhman, what indeed is the fate of those who were slain in battle for the sake of a friend? Likewise, what is the fate of my sons and grandsons who were killed in battle? (15-36-30)
दूयते मे मनोऽभीक्ष्णं घातयित्वा महाबलम्। भीष्मं शान्तनवं वृद्धं द्रोणं च द्विजसत्तमम् ॥१५-३६-३१॥
My mind is constantly distressed, having caused the death of the mighty and aged Bhīṣma, son of Śāntanu, and Droṇa, the foremost among brāhmaṇas. (15-36-31)
मम पुत्रेण मूढेन पापेन सुहृदद्विषा। क्षयं नीतं कुलं दीप्तं पृथिवीराज्यमिच्छता ॥१५-३६-३२॥
My son, deluded, sinful, a hater of friends, desiring the kingdom of the earth, has brought our illustrious family to ruin. (15-36-32)
एतत्सर्वमनुस्मृत्य दह्यमानो दिवानिशम्। न शान्तिमधिगच्छामि दुःखशोकसमाहतः ॥ इति मे चिन्तयानस्य पितः शर्म न विद्यते ॥१५-३६-३३॥
Remembering all this, I am continually consumed day and night and, afflicted by pain and grief, do not find peace. Thus, O father, for me who is pondering, there is no comfort. (15-36-33)
