Vana Parva, Mahabharata/Book III Chapter 174
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Vana Parva, Mahabharata/Book III Chapter 174 : English
SECTION CLXXVI
Vaisampayana said, "When they had left their happy home in the beautiful mountain abounding in cascades, and having birds, and the elephants of the eight quarters, and the supernatural attendants of Kuvera (as dwellers thereof), all happiness forsook those foremost of men of Bharata's race. But afterwards on beholding Kuvera's favourite mountain, Kailasa, appearing like clouds, the delight of those pre-eminent heroes of the race of Bharata, became very great. And those foremost of heroic men, equipped with scimitars and bows, proceeded contentedly, beholding elevations and defiles, and dens of lions and craggy causeways and innumerable water-falls and lowlands, in different places, as also other great forests inhabited by countless deer and birds and elephants. And they came upon beautiful woodlands and rivers and lakes and caves and mountain caverns; and these frequently by day and night became the dwelling place of those great men. And having dwelt in all sorts of inaccessible places and crossing Kailasa of inconceivable grandeur, they reached the excellent and surpassingly beautiful hermitage of Vrishaparba. And meeting king Vrishaparba and received by him being they became free from depression and then they accurately narrated in detail to Vrishaparba the story of their sojourn in the mountains. And having pleasantly passed one night in his sacred abode frequented by gods and Maharshis, those great warriors proceeded smoothly towards the jujube tree called Visala and took up their quarters there. Then all those magnanimous men having reached the place of Narayana, continued to live there, bereft of all sorrow, at beholding Kuvera's favourite lake, frequented by gods and Siddhas. And viewing that lake, those foremost of men, the sons of Pandu traversed that place, renouncing all grief even as immaculate Brahmana rishis (do) on attaining a habitation in the Nandana gardens. Then all those warriors having in due course happily lived at Badari for one month, proceeded towards the realm of Suvahu, king of the Kiratas, by following the same track by which they had come. And crossing the difficult Himalayan regions, and the countries of China, Tukhara, Darada, Darva and all the climes of Kulinda, rich in heaps of jewels, those warlike men reached the capital of Suvahu. And hearing that those sons and grandsons of kings had all reached his kingdom, Suvahu, elated with joy, advanced (to meet them). Then the best of the Kurus welcomed him also. And meeting king Suvahu, and being joined by all their charioteers with Visoka at their head and by their attendants, Indrasena and others, and also by the superintendents and servants of the kitchen, they stayed there comfortably for one night. Then taking all the chariots and chariot-men and
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dismissing Ghatotkacha together with his followers, they next repaired to the monarch of mountains in the vicinity of the Yamuna. In the midst of the mountain abounding in waterfalls and having grey and orange-coloured slopes and summits covered with a sheet of snow, those warlike men having then found the great forest of Visakhayupa like unto the forest of Chitraratha and inhabited by wild boars and various kinds of deer and birds, made it their home. Addicted to hunting as their chief occupation, the sons of Pritha peacefully dwelt in that forest for one year. There in a cavern of the mountain, Vrikodara, with a heart afflicted with distraction and grief, came across a snake of huge strength distressed with hunger and looking fierce like death itself. At this crisis Yudhishthira, the best of pious men, became the protector of Vrikodara and he, of infinite puissance, extricated Bhima whose whole body had been fast gripped by the snake with its folds. And the twelfth year of their sojourn in forests having arrived, those scions of the race of Kuru, blazing in effulgence, and engaged in asceticism, always devoted principally to the practice of archery, repaired cheerfully from that Chitraratha-like forest to the borders of the desert, and desirous of dwelling by the Saraswati they went there, and from the banks of that river they reached the lake of Dvaitavana. Then seeing them enter Dwaitavana, the dwellers of that place engaged in asceticism, religious ordinances, and self-restraining exercises and in deep and devout meditation and subsisting on things ground with stone (for want of teeth) having procured grass-mats and water-vessels, advanced to meet them. The holy fig, the rudaraksha, the rohitaka, the cane and the jujube, the catechu, the sirisha, the bel and the inguda and the karira and pilu and sami trees grew on the banks of the Saraswati. Wandering about with contentment in (the vicinity of) the Saraswati which was, as it were, the home of the celestials, and the favourite (resort) of Yakshas and Gandharvas and Maharshis, those sons of kings lived there in happiness."
Vana Parva, Mahabharata/Book III Chapter 174 : Sanskrit
1 [वै] नगॊत्तमं परस्रवणैर उपेतं; थिशां गजैः किंनरपक्षिभिश च सुखं निवासं जहतां हि तेषां; न परीतिर आसीथ भरतर्षभाणाम 2 ततस तु तेषां पुनर एव हर्षः; कैलासम आलॊक्य महान बभूव कुबेर कान्तं भरतर्षभाणां; महीधरं वारिधरप्रकाशम 3 समुच्छ्रयान पर्वतसंनिरॊधान; गॊष्ठान गिरीणां गिरिसेतुमालाः बहून परपातांश च समीक्ष्य वीराः; सदलानि निम्नानि च तत्र तत्र 4 तदैव चान्यानि महावनानि; मृगथ्विजानेकप सेवितानि आलॊकयन्तॊ ऽभिययुः परतीतास; ते धन्विनः खड्गधरा नराग्र्याः 5 वनानि रम्याणि सरांसि नथ्यॊ; गुहा गिरीणां गिरिगह्वराणि एते निवासाः सततं बभूवुर; निशानिशं पराप्य नरर्षभाणाम 6 ते थुर्ग वासं बहुधा निरुष्य; वयतीत्य कैलासम अचिन्त्यरूपम आसेथुर अत्यर्द मनॊरमं वै; तम आश्रमाग्र्यं वृषपर्वणस ते 7 समेत्य राज्ञा वृषपर्वणस ते; परत्यर्चितास तेन च वीतमॊहाः शशंसिरे विस्तरशः परवासं; शिवं यदावथ वृषपर्वणस ते 8 सुखॊषितास तत्र त एकरात्रं; पुण्याश्रमे थेवमहर्षिजुष्टे अभ्याययुस ते बदरीं विशालां; सुखेन वीराः पुनर एव वासम 9 ऊषुस ततस तत्र महानुभावा; नारायण सदानगता नराग्र्याः कुबेर कान्तां नलिनीं विशॊकाः; संपश्यमानाः सुरसिथ्धजुष्टाम 10 तां चाद थृष्ट्वा नलिनीं विशॊकाः; पाण्डॊः सुताः सर्वनरप्रवीराः ते रेमिरे नन्दनवासम एत्य; थविजर्षयॊ वीतभया यदैव 11 ततः करमेणॊपययुर नृवीरा; यदागतेनैव पदा समग्राः विहृत्य मासं सुखिनॊ बथर्यां; किरात राज्ञॊ विषयं सुबाहॊः 12 चीनांस तुखारान थरथान सदार्वान; थेशान कुणिन्थस्य च भूरि रत्नान अतीत्य दुर्गं हिमवत्प्रदेशं सुबाहोर्ददृशुनृर्वीरा:'
13 शरुत्वा च तान पार्दिव पुत्रपौत्रान; पराप्तान सुबाहुर विषये समग्रान
परत्युथ्ययौ परीतियुतः स राजा; तं चाभ्यनन्थन वृषभाः कुरूणाम 14 समेत्य राज्ञा तु सुबाहुना ते; सूतैर विशॊक परमुखैश च सर्वैः सहेन्थ्रसेनैः परिचारकैश च; पौरॊगवैर ये च महानसस्दाः 15 सुखॊषितास तत्र त एकरात्रं; सुतान उपाथाय रदांश च सर्वान घटॊत्कचं सानुचरं विसृज्य; ततॊ ऽभययुर यामुनम अथ्रिराजम 16 तस्मिन गिरौ परस्रवणॊपपन्ने; हिमॊत्तरीयारुण पाण्डुसानौ विशाख यूपं समुपेत्य चक्रुस; तथा निवासं पुरुषप्रवीराः 17 वराहनानामृगपक्षिजुष्टं; महथ वनं चैत्ररद परकाशम शिवेन यात्वा मृगया परधानाः; संवत्सरं तत्र वने विजह्रुः 18 तत्राससाथातिबलं भुजंगं; कषुधार्थितं मृत्युम इवॊग्ररूपम वृकॊदरः पर्वत कन्थरायां; विषाथमॊहव्यदितान्तर आत्मा 19 थवीपॊ ऽभवथ यत्र वृकॊथरस्य; युधिष्ठिरॊ धर्मभृतां वरिष्ठः अमॊक्षयथ यस तम अनन्त तेजा; गराहेण संवेष्ठित सर्वगात्रम 20 ते थवाथशं वर्षम अदॊपयान्तं; वने विहर्तुं कुरवः परतीताः तस्माथ वनाच चैत्ररद परकाशाच; छरिया जवलन्तस तपसा च युक्ताः 21 ततश च यात्वा मरुधन्व पार्श्वं; सथा धनुर्वेथ रतिप्रधानाः सरस्वतीम एत्य निवासकामाः; सरस ततॊ दवैतवनं परतीयुः 22 समीक्ष्य तान थैतवने निविष्टान; निवासिनस तत्र ततॊ ऽभिजग्मुः तपॊ थमाचार समाधियुक्तास; तृणॊथ पात्राहरणाश्म कुट्टाः 23 पलक्षाक्ष रौहीतक वेतसाश च; सनुहा बथर्यः खथिराः शिरीषाः बिल्वेङ्गुथाः पीलु शमी करीराः; सरस्वती तीररुहा बभूवुः 24 तां यक्षगन्धर्वमहर्षिकान्ताम; आयाग भूताम इव थेवतानाम सरस्वतीं परीतियुताश चरन्तः; सुखं विजह्रुर नरथेव पुत्राः
Vana Parva, Mahabharata/Book III Chapter 174 : Transliteration
1 [vai] nagottamaṃ prasravaṇair upetaṃ; diśāṃ gajaiḥ kiṃnarapakṣibhiś ca sukhaṃ nivāsaṃ jahatāṃ hi teṣāṃ; na prītir āsīd bharatarṣabhāṇām 2 tatas tu teṣāṃ punar eva harṣaḥ; kailāsam ālokya mahān babhūva kubera kāntaṃ bharatarṣabhāṇāṃ; mahīdharaṃ vāridharaprakāśam 3 samucchrayān parvatasaṃnirodhān; goṣṭhān girīṇāṃ girisetumālāḥ bahūn prapātāṃś ca samīkṣya vīrāḥ; sthalāni nimnāni ca tatra tatra 4 tathaiva cānyāni mahāvanāni; mṛgadvijānekapa sevitāni ālokayanto 'bhiyayuḥ pratītās; te dhanvinaḥ khaḍgadharā narāgryāḥ 5 vanāni ramyāṇi sarāṃsi nadyo; guhā girīṇāṃ girigahvarāṇi ete nivāsāḥ satataṃ babhūvur; niśāniśaṃ prāpya nararṣabhāṇām 6 te durga vāsaṃ bahudhā niruṣya; vyatītya kailāsam acintyarūpam āsedur atyartha manoramaṃ vai; tam āśramāgryaṃ vṛṣaparvaṇas te 7 sametya rājñā vṛṣaparvaṇas te; pratyarcitās tena ca vītamohāḥ śaśaṃsire vistaraśaḥ pravāsaṃ; śivaṃ yathāvad vṛṣaparvaṇas te 8 sukhoṣitās tatra ta ekarātraṃ; puṇyāśrame devamaharṣijuṣṭe abhyāyayus te badarīṃ viśālāṃ; sukhena vīrāḥ punar eva vāsam 9 ūṣus tatas tatra mahānubhāvā; nārāyaṇa sthānagatā narāgryāḥ kubera kāntāṃ nalinīṃ viśokāḥ; saṃpaśyamānāḥ surasiddhajuṣṭām 10 tāṃ cātha dṛṣṭvā nalinīṃ viśokāḥ; pāṇḍoḥ sutāḥ sarvanarapravīrāḥ te remire nandanavāsam etya; dvijarṣayo vītabhayā yathaiva 11 tataḥ krameṇopayayur nṛvīrā; yathāgatenaiva pathā samagrāḥ vihṛtya māsaṃ sukhino badaryāṃ; kirāta rājño viṣayaṃ subāhoḥ 12 cīnāṃs tukhārān daradān sadārvān; deśān kuṇindasya ca bhūri ratnān atītya durgaṃ himavatpradeśaṃ; puraṃ subāhor dadṛśur nṛvīrāḥ 13 śrutvā ca tān pārthiva putrapautrān; prāptān subāhur viṣaye samagrān pratyudyayau prītiyutaḥ sa rājā; taṃ cābhyanandan vṛṣabhāḥ kurūṇām 14 sametya rājñā tu subāhunā te; sūtair viśoka pramukhaiś ca sarvaiḥ sahendrasenaiḥ paricārakaiś ca; paurogavair ye ca mahānasasthāḥ 15 sukhoṣitās tatra ta ekarātraṃ; sutān upādāya rathāṃś ca sarvān ghaṭotkacaṃ sānucaraṃ visṛjya; tato 'bhyayur yāmunam adrirājam 16 tasmin girau prasravaṇopapanne; himottarīyāruṇa pāṇḍusānau viśākha yūpaṃ samupetya cakrus; tadā nivāsaṃ puruṣapravīrāḥ 17 varāhanānāmṛgapakṣijuṣṭaṃ; mahad vanaṃ caitraratha prakāśam śivena yātvā mṛgayā pradhānāḥ; saṃvatsaraṃ tatra vane vijahruḥ 18 tatrāsasādātibalaṃ bhujaṃgaṃ; kṣudhārditaṃ mṛtyum ivograrūpam vṛkodaraḥ parvata kandarāyāṃ; viṣādamohavyathitāntar ātmā 19 dvīpo 'bhavad yatra vṛkodarasya; yudhiṣṭhiro dharmabhṛtāṃ variṣṭhaḥ amokṣayad yas tam ananta tejā; grāheṇa saṃveṣṭhita sarvagātram 20 te dvādaśaṃ varṣam athopayāntaṃ; vane vihartuṃ kuravaḥ pratītāḥ tasmād vanāc caitraratha prakāśāc; chriyā jvalantas tapasā ca yuktāḥ 21 tataś ca yātvā marudhanva pārśvaṃ; sadā dhanurveda ratipradhānāḥ sarasvatīm etya nivāsakāmāḥ; saras tato dvaitavanaṃ pratīyuḥ 22 samīkṣya tān daitavane niviṣṭān; nivāsinas tatra tato 'bhijagmuḥ tapo damācāra samādhiyuktās; tṛṇoda pātrāharaṇāśma kuṭṭāḥ 23 plakṣākṣa rauhītaka vetasāś ca; snuhā badaryaḥ khadirāḥ śirīṣāḥ bilveṅgudāḥ pīlu śamī karīrāḥ; sarasvatī tīraruhā babhūvuḥ 24 tāṃ yakṣagandharvamaharṣikāntām; āyāga bhūtām iva devatānām sarasvatīṃ prītiyutāś carantaḥ; sukhaṃ vijahrur naradeva putrāḥ
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