18.001
svargarohaṇaparva
The section of the ascension to heaven.
svarge nāradavākyam
The speech of Nārada in heaven.
janamejaya uvāca॥
Janamejaya said.
svargaṃ triviṣṭapaṃ prāpya mama pūrvapitāmahāḥ। pāṇḍavā dhārtarāṣṭrāś ca kāni sthānāni bhejire ॥18-1-1॥
Having attained heaven, the threefold abode, which places did my ancestors, the Pāṇḍavas, and the descendants of Dhṛtarāṣṭra reach? (18-1-1)
etadicchāmyahaṃ śrotuṃ sarvaviccāsi me mataḥ। maharṣiṇābhyanujñāto vyāsenādbhutakarmaṇā ॥18-1-2॥
I wish to hear this. You are regarded by me as all-knowing. Permitted by the great sage Vyāsa, who is of wondrous deeds. (18-1-2)
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
svargaṃ triviṣṭapaṃ prāpya tava pūrvapitāmahāḥ। yudhiṣṭhiraprabhṛtayo yad akurvata tac chṛṇu॥18-1-3॥
Having attained heaven, the three-stepped region, your former great-grandfathers—Yudhiṣṭhira and the others—what they did, hear that. (18-1-3)
svargaṃ triviṣṭapaṃ prāpya dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। duryodhanaṃ śriyā juṣṭaṃ dadarśāsīnam āsane॥18-1-4॥
Having attained heaven, the three-stepped realm, Yudhishthira, the King of Dharma, saw Duryodhana adorned with splendour, sitting on a seat. (18-1-4)
bhrājamānam ivādityaṃ vīralakṣmyābhisaṃvṛtam। devair bhrājiṣṇubhiḥ sādhyaiḥ sahitaṃ puṇyakarmabhiḥ॥18-1-5॥
Shining like the sun, enveloped in heroic splendor, and accompanied by radiant gods and Sādhyas, all who perform virtuous deeds. (18-1-5)
tato yudhiṣṭhiro dṛṣṭvā duryodhanam amarṣitaḥ. sahasā saṃnivṛtto'bhūc chriyaṃ dṛṣṭvā suyodhane ॥18-1-6॥
Then Yudhiṣṭhira, seeing Duryodhana, became agitated and suddenly drew back on noticing the splendor residing in Suyodhana (Duryodhana). (18-1-6)
bruvann uccair vacas tān vai nāhaṃ duryodhanena vai. sahitaḥ kāmaye lokān lubdhena ā dīrghadarśinā ॥18-1-7॥
Indeed, speaking those words loudly, I do not desire to be together with Duryodhana, nor do I wish for worlds gained with the greedy one, even if he is farsighted. (18-1-7)
yat-kṛte pṛthivī sarvā suhṛdaḥ bāndhavās tathā | hatāsmābhiḥ prasahyājau kliṣṭaiḥ pūrvaṃ mahāvane ॥18-1-8॥
For whose sake the whole earth, as well as friends and relatives, were slain by us—having overpowered troubled ones in battle, previously in the great forest. (18-1-8)
draupadī ca sabhāmadhye pāñcālī dharmacāriṇī। parikliṣṭānavadyāṅgī patnī no guru-saṃnidhau ॥18-1-9॥
Draupadī, the virtuous wife from Pañcāla, flawless and afflicted, was in the midst of the assembly before our elders. (18-1-9)
svasti devā na me kāmaḥ suyodhanam-udīkṣitum। tatrāhaṁ gantum-icchāmi yatra te bhrātaro mama॥18-1-10॥
O gods, I have no desire to see Suyodhana. I wish to go there where your brothers, my own, are. (18-1-10)
maivam ity abravīt taṁ tu nāradaḥ prahasann iva. svarge nivāso rājeṃdra viruddhaṃ cāpi naśyati ॥18-1-11॥
“Not so,” said Nārada to him, smiling as if. O king, dwelling in heaven and what is opposed to it are also destroyed. (18-1-11)
yudhiṣṭhira mahābāho maivaṃ vocaḥ kathaṃcana। duryodhanaṃ prati nṛpaṃ śṛṇu cedaṃ vaco mama ॥18-1-12॥
O mighty-armed Yudhiṣṭhira, do not speak thus in any manner; listen to this word of mine addressed to King Duryodhana. (18-1-12)
eṣa duryodhanaḥ rājā pūjyate tridaśaiḥ saha। sadbhiś ca rājapravaraiḥ ya ime svargavāsinaḥ ॥18-1-13॥
This king Duryodhana is being honored by the gods along with the noble and eminent kings who dwell in heaven. (18-1-13)
vīralokagatiṃ prāpto yuddhe hutvātmanaḥ tanum। yūyaṃ sarve surasamā yena yuddhe samāsitāḥ ॥18-1-14॥
He has attained the path to the world of heroes, having offered his own body in battle; you all, who were brought together in battle by him, are equal to the gods. (18-1-14)
sa eṣa kṣatradharmeṇa sthānam etad avāptavān। bhaye mahati yo’bhīto babhūva pṛthivīpatiḥ॥18-1-15॥
He, indeed, through the duty of a kṣatriya has attained this position; in great danger, he who was fearless became the king. (18-1-15)
na tanmanasi kartavyaṃ putra yaddyūtakāritam। draupadyāśca parikleśaṃ na cintayitumarhasi ॥18-1-16॥
Son, you should not dwell on that which was caused by the game of dice, nor should you think about the suffering of Draupadī. (18-1-16)
ye cānye'pi parikleśā yuṣmākaṃ dyūtakāritāḥ। saṅgrāmeṣv atha vā anyatra na tān saṃsmartum arhasi॥18-1-17॥
And the other afflictions of yours, caused by gambling, whether in battles or elsewhere, those you ought not to remember. (18-1-17)
samāgaccha yathā-nyāyaṁ rājñā duryodhanena vai। svargo'yaṁ neha vairāṇi bhavanti manujādhipa॥18-1-18॥
Come together properly as invited by King Duryodhana. This is heaven; here enmities do not exist, O ruler of men. (18-1-18)
nāradenaivamuktastu kururājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। bhrātṝnpapraccha medhāvī vākyametaduvāca ha ॥18-1-19॥
Thus addressed by Nārada, Yudhiṣṭhira, the wise king of the Kurus, asked his brothers and spoke these words. (18-1-19)
yadi duryodhanasyai te vīralokāḥ sanātanāḥ. adharmājñasya pāpasya pṛthivīsuhṛdadruhaḥ ॥18-1-20॥
If these eternal realms of heroes belong to Duryodhana, who is ignorant of righteousness, sinful, and the betrayer of the friend of the earth; (18-1-20)
yatkṛte pṛthivī naṣṭā sahayā sarathadvipā। vayaṃ ca manyunā dagdhā vairaṃ praticikīrṣavaḥ ॥18-1-21॥
For whose sake the earth, together with its allies, chariots and elephants, was destroyed, and we too have been consumed by wrath, desiring to retaliate the enmity. (18-1-21)
ye te vīrā mahātmāno bhrātaro me mahāvratāḥ। satyapratijñā lokasya śūrā vai satyavādinaḥ॥18-1-22॥
These heroes, who are my brothers, are high-souled, strict followers of great vows, truthful in promise, famous in the world as valiant men, and indeed, speakers of truth. (18-1-22)
teṣām idānīṃ ke lokā draṣṭum icchāmi tān aham। karṇaṃ caiva mahātmānaṃ kaunteyaṃ satyasaṅgaram॥18-1-23॥
Now, I wish to see which worlds belong to them—Karna, and also the great-souled, the son of Kunti, steadfast in truth. (18-1-23)
dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ sātyakiṃ ca dhṛṣṭadyumnasya ca ātmajān | ye ca śastrair vadhaṃ prāptāḥ kṣatradharmeṇa pārthivāḥ ॥18-1-24॥
Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Sātyaki, the sons of Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and the kings who met their death by weapons according to the duty of warriors. (18-1-24)
kva nu te pārthivā brahman naitān paśyāmi nārada. virāṭadrupadau caiva dhṛṣṭaketumukhāṁś ca tān ॥18-1-25॥
Where indeed are your kings, O brāhman? I do not see these, O Nārada—Virāṭa and Drupada also, as well as Dhṛṣṭaketu and the others.
śikhaṇḍinaṃ ca pāñcālyaṃ draupadeyāṃś ca sarvaśaḥ. abhimanyuṃ ca durdharṣaṃ draṣṭum icchāmi nārada ॥18-1-26॥
O Nārada, I wish to see Śikhaṇḍin and Pāñcālya, all the sons of Draupadī, as well as Abhimanyu the unassailable. (18-1-26)
