15.047
dhṛtarāṣṭraśrāddhakaraṇam
Performance of the śrāddha (funeral rite) for Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
nārada uvāca॥
Nārada said.
nāsau vṛthāgninā dagdho yathā tatra śrutaṃ mayā। vaicitravīryo nṛpatistatte vakṣyāmi bhārata ॥15-47-1॥
He was not burnt by useless fire, as I have heard there; I shall tell you about that king Vicitravīrya, O Bhārata. (15-47-1)
vanaṃ praviśatā tena vāyu-bhakṣeṇa dhīmatā। agnayaḥ kārayitvā iṣṭim utsṛṣṭā iti naḥ śrutam ॥15-47-2॥
We have heard that, when that wise one living on air entered the forest, the sacred fires, having had the sacrifice performed, were abandoned. (15-47-2)
yājakāstu tatas tasya tān agnīn nirjane vane। samutsṛjya yathākāmaṃ jagmur bharatasattama॥15-47-3॥
But the priests then left his fires in a deserted forest and went away as they wished, O best of the Bharatas. (15-47-3)
sa vivṛddhas tadā vahnir vane tasminn abhūt kila. tena tad vanam ādīptam iti me tāpasābruvan ॥15-47-4॥
That increased fire then arose in that forest, indeed. Because of that, the ascetics said to me that the forest was ignited. (15-47-4)
sa rājā jāhnavī-kacche yathā te kathitaṁ mayā। tenāgninā samāyuktaḥ svenaiva bharatarṣabha ॥15-47-5॥
O best of Bharatas, that king, on the bank of the Jāhnavī, as I have told you, was himself united with that very fire. (15-47-5)
evam āvedayām āsur munayas te mama anagha. ye te bhāgīrathī tīre mayā dṛṣṭā yudhiṣṭhira ॥15-47-6॥
Thus, the sages reported to me, O sinless one. O Yudhishthira, those whom you saw on the bank of the Bhagirathi River were shown to me. (15-47-6)
evaṃ svenāgninā rājā samāyukto mahīpate। mā śocithāstvaṃ nṛpatiṃ gataḥ sa paramāṃ gatim ॥15-47-7॥
Thus, by his own fire the king has departed, O lord of the earth. Do not grieve—you; the king has gone to the supreme state. (15-47-7)
guruśuśrūṣayā caiva jananī tava pāṇḍava। prāptā sumahatīṁ siddhimiti me nātra saṁśayaḥ ॥15-47-8॥
By service to the teacher, your mother, O Pāṇḍava, has surely attained very great success—of this I have no doubt. (15-47-8)
kartum arhasi kauravya teṣāṃ tvam udakakriyām. bhrātṛbhiḥ sahitaḥ sarvaiḥ etad atra vidhīyatām ॥15-47-9॥
O descendant of Kuru, you ought to perform the water-rite for them. Together with all your brothers, let this be done here. (15-47-9)
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tataḥ sa pṛthivī-pālaḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ dhurandharaḥ। niryayau saha sodaryaiḥ sadāraḥ bharatarṣabha॥15-47-10॥
Then that king, chief among the Pāṇḍavas, departed together with his full brothers and his wife, O best of the Bharatas. (15-47-10)
paurajanapadāś caiva rājabhaktipuraskṛtāḥ। gaṅgāṃ prajagmur abhito vāsasaikena saṃvṛtāḥ ॥15-47-11॥
The inhabitants of the towns and countryside, led by loyalty to the king, went from all directions to the Gaṅgā, clothed in a single garment. (15-47-11)
tato’vagāhya salilaṃ sarve te kurupuṅgavāḥ। yuyutsum agrataḥ kṛtvā dadus toyaṃ mahātmane॥15-47-12॥
Then, after entering the water, all those chiefs of the Kurus, with the one who desired battle positioned in front, offered water to the great-souled one. (15-47-12)
gāndhāryāś ca pṛthāyāś ca vidhivan nāmagotrataḥ। śaucaṃ nivartayantas te tatroṣur nagarād bahiḥ ॥15-47-13॥
Gāndhārī and Pṛthā, observing purification according to proper procedure with due regard to name and lineage, stayed there outside the city. (15-47-13)
preṣayāmāsa sa narān-vidhijñān-āpta-kāriṇaḥ। gaṅgādvāraṃ kuruśreṣṭho yatra dagdho'bhavannṛpaḥ॥15-47-14॥
He, O best of the Kurus, sent men expert in the proper rites to Gaṅgādvāra, where the king had been cremated. (15-47-14)
tatraiva teṣāṃ kulyāni gaṅgādvāre'nvaśāttadā। kartavyānīti puruṣāndattadeyān mahīpatiḥ ॥15-47-15॥
At that very place, the king caused water channels for them to be dug at Gaṅgādvāra at that time, and commanded that men worthy of receiving gifts should be provided for this purpose. (15-47-15)
dvādaśe'hani tebhyaḥ sa kṛtaśauco narādhipaḥ। dadau śrāddhāni vidhivad dakṣiṇāvanti pāṇḍavaḥ ॥15-47-16॥
On the twelfth day, the son of Pāṇḍu, having performed purification, gave to them the ancestral rites according to rule, accompanied by gifts, as the lord of men. (15-47-16)
dhṛtarāṣṭraṁ samuddiśya dadau sa pṛthivīpatiḥ। suvarṇaṁ rajataṁ gāś ca śayyāś ca sumahādhanāḥ ॥15-47-17॥
Addressing Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the king gave gold, silver, cows, and beds of very great value. (15-47-17)
gāndhāryāś caiva tejasvī pṛthāyāś ca pṛthak pṛthak। saṅkīrtya nāmani rājā dadau dānam anuttamam॥15-47-18॥
The splendid king, having recited separately the names of Gandhari and Pritha, gave unsurpassed gifts. (15-47-18)
yo yad icchati yāvat ca tāvat sa labhate dvijaḥ| śayanaṃ bhojanaṃ yānaṃ maṇiratnam atho dhanam ॥15-47-19॥
The twice-born (brāhmaṇa) obtains whatever and however much he desires—bed, food, vehicle, jewels, and also wealth. (15-47-19)
yānam-ācchādanaṃ bhogān dāsīś ca paricārikāḥ। dadau rājā samuddiśya tayor mātroḥ mahīpatiḥ ॥15-47-20॥
The king, the lord of the earth, gave vehicles, coverings, enjoyments, female servants and attendants, having designated them for the two mothers. (15-47-20)
tataḥ sa pṛthivī-pālo dattvā śrāddhāni anekaśaḥ। praviveśa punaḥ dhīmān nagaraṃ vāraṇāhvayam॥15-47-21॥
Then the wise king, having performed many funeral rites, once again entered the city of Varanasi. (15-47-21)
te cāpi rājavacanāt puruṣā ye gatābhavan। saṅkalpya teṣāṃ kulyāni punaḥ pratyāgamaṃs tataḥ ॥15-47-22॥
Then those men who had gone on the king's command, having identified their families, returned again. (15-47-22)
mālyair gandhaiś ca vividhaiḥ pūjayitvā yathāvidhi. kulyāni teṣāṃ saṃyojya tad ācakhyur mahīpateḥ ॥15-47-23॥
Having worshipped with garlands, scents, and various offerings according to the prescribed rule, and having connected their water-channels, they informed the king of this. (15-47-23)
samāśvāsya ca rājānaṃ dharmātmānaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram। nārado'pyagamad rājan paramarṣir yathepsitam ॥15-47-24॥
And having consoled the righteous-souled King Yudhishthira, O king, the supreme sage Narada also departed as he wished. (15-47-24)
evaṃ varṣāṇy atītāni dhṛtarāṣṭrasya dhīmataḥ। vanavāse tadā trīṇi nagare daśa pañca ca ॥15-47-25॥
Thus, the years passed for the wise Dhritarashtra: three in forest dwelling, and fifteen (ten and five) in the city. (15-47-25)
hataputrasya saṅgrāme dānāni dadataḥ sadā. jñātisambandhimitrāṇāṃ bhrātṝṇāṃ svajanasya ca ॥15-47-26॥
He whose son has been slain in battle always gives gifts to the kinsmen, relatives, friends, brothers, and his own people. (15-47-26)
yudhiṣṭhiras tu nṛpatir nātiprītamanās tadā। dhārayām āsa tad rājyaṃ nihatajñātibāndhavaḥ॥15-47-27॥
But King Yudhishthira, though not very pleased at heart then, bore that kingdom, having had his relatives and friends killed. (15-47-27)
