None: Chapter 217

Arjuna's Tirtha visiting

वर्गोवाच ततो वयं प्रव्यथिताः सर्वा भारतसत्तम। अयाम शरणं विप्रं तं तपोधनमच्युतम्॥
Varga said : O best of the Bharata race, we were all greatly distressed. We sought the protection of that ascetic of undeviating vows.

रूपेण वयसा चैव कन्दर्पण च दर्पिताः। अयुक्तं कृतवत्यः स्म क्षन्तुमर्हसि नो द्विज॥
(We said), "O Brahmana, intoxicated with beauty and youth and maddened by the god of love, we have acted very improperly, you should pardon us.

एष एव वधोऽस्माकं सुपर्याप्तस्तपोधन। यद् वयं संशितात्मानं प्रलोव्धुं त्वामिहागताः॥
I was enough death to us that we had at all come here to tempt such an ascetic of controlled soul as you are.

अवध्यास्तु स्त्रियः सृष्टा मन्यन्ते धर्मचारिणः। तस्माद् धर्मेण वर्ध त्वं नास्मान् हिंसितुमर्हसि॥
The virtuous men consider that women are created as fion-slayable, therefore you should not kill us. Grow yourself in virtue.

सर्वभूतेषु धर्मज्ञ मैत्रो ब्राह्मण सत्यो भवतु कल्याण एष वादो मनीषिणाम्॥
O virtuous man, it is said that a Brahmana has always friendly feelings over all creatures. O Rishi of blessedness, let this saying of the learned be made true.

शरणं च प्रपन्नानां शिष्टाः कुर्वन्ति पालनाम्। शरणं त्वां प्रपन्नाः स्मस्तस्मात् त्वं क्षन्तुमर्हसि॥
The good man always protects those that seek protection at his hands. We solicit your protection; you should therefore pardon us."

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तः स धर्मात्मा ब्राह्मणः शुभकर्मकृत्। प्रसादं कृतवान् वीर रविसोमसमप्रभः॥ उच्यते।
Vaishampayana said : O hero, having been thus addressed, that virtuous-minded Brahmana of good deeds, as effulgent as the sun or the Moon, became propitious to them.

ब्राह्मण उवाच शतं शतसहस्रं तु सर्वमक्षय्यवाचकम्। परिमाणं शतं वेतन्त्रेदमक्षय्यवाचकम्॥
The Brahmana said: The words "hundreds" and "hundred thousands” all indicate cternity. The "hundred" used by me should be understood as a limited period and not as eternity.

यदा च वो ग्राहभूता गृहणन्तीः पुरुषाञ्जले। उत्कर्षति जलात् तस्मात् स्थलं पुरुषसत्तमः॥ तदा यूयं पुनः सर्वाः स्वं रूपं प्रतिपत्स्यथ। अनृतं नोक्तपूर्वं मे हसतापि कदाचन॥
You shall, becoming crocodiles, seize and drag men into water. (After the expiration of one hundred years), a best of men will drag you all from the water to the land. You will then resume your own real forms. I have never spoken an untruth even in jest.

तानि सर्वाणि तीर्थानि ततः प्रभृति चैव ह। नारीतीर्थानि नाम्नेह ख्याति यास्यन्ति सर्वशः। पुण्यानि च भविष्यन्ति पावनानि मनीषिणाम्॥
From that day all those sacred Tirthas will be known by the name of Nari Tirthas all over the world. All of them will be sacred and sincleansing in the eyes of the virtuous and the wise.

वर्गोवाच ततोऽभिवाद्य तं विप्रं कृत्वा चापि प्रदक्षिणम्। अचिन्तयामोऽपसृत्य तस्माद् देशात् सुदुःखिताः॥ क्व नु नाम वयं सर्वाः कालेनाल्पेन तं नरम्। समागच्छेम यो नस्तद् रूपमापादयेत् पुनः॥
Varga said : Having saluted that Brahmana with reverence and walked round him, we left that place in great grief; and we all came away thinking (all the while), "Where shall we soon meet with that man who will give us own old forms?"

ता वयं चिन्तयित्वैव मुहूर्तादिव भारत। दृष्टवत्यो महाभागं देवर्षिमुत नारदम्॥
O descendant of Bharata, as we were, thinking, at that very moment we met with the illustrious celestials Rishi Narada.

सम्प्रहृष्टाः स्म तं दृष्ट्वा देवर्षिममितद्युतिम्। अभिवाद्य च तं पार्थ स्थिताः स्म वीडिताननाः॥
O Partha, seeing that celestials Rishi of immeasurable effulgence, our hearts were filled with joy. Having saluted him with revenge we stood before him with faces covered with blushes.

स नोऽपृच्छद् दुःखमूलमुक्तवत्यो वयं च तम्। श्रुत्वा तत्र यथावृत्तमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥
He asked us the cause of our sorrow and we told him all. Having heard what had happened, he thus spoke to us,

दक्षिणे सागरानूपे पञ्च तीर्थानि सन्ति वै। पुण्यानि रमणीयानि तानि गच्छत मा चिरम्॥
"In the low lands on the coast of the southern sea there are five sacred and delightful Tirthas, go there without delay.

तत्राशु पुरुषव्याघ्रः पाण्डवेयो धनंजयः। मोक्षयिष्यति शुद्धात्मा दुःखादस्मान्न संशयः॥ तस्य सर्वा वयं वीर श्रुत्वा वाक्यमिहागताः। तदिदं सत्यमेवाद्य मोक्षिताहं त्वयानघ॥
That best of men the pure-souled Pandava Dhananjaya (Arjuna) will certainly deliver you from your this distressful state.” O hero, hearing the Rishi's words, all of us came here. O sinless one, I have been really delivered by you to-day.

एतास्तु मम ताः सख्यश्चतस्रोऽन्या जले श्रिताः। कुरु कर्म शुभं वीर एता: सर्वा विमोक्षय॥
But, those others of my friends are still within the waters of the other lakes. O hero, perform a good work, deliver them all.

वैशम्पायन उवाच ततस्ताः पाण्डवश्रेष्ठः सर्वा एव विशाम्पते। तस्माच्छापाददीनात्मा मोक्षयामास वीर्यवान्॥
Vaishampayana said : O king, thereupon that best of the Pandavas (Arjuna) of great prowess gladly delivered all of them from that curse.

उत्थाय च जलात् तस्मात् प्रतिलभ्य वपुः स्वकम्। तास्तदाप्सरसो राजन्नदृश्यन्त यथा पुरा॥
O king, rising from the waters, they all regained their old forms and those Apsaras then all looked as they looked before.

तीर्थानि शोधयित्वा तु तथानुज्ञाय ताः प्रभुः। चित्राङ्गदां पुनर्द्रष्टुं मणिपूरं पुनर्ययौ॥
Making safe those Tirthas and giving them (Apsaras) leave to go away, that lord (Arjuna) went again to Manipur to see Chitrangada once more,

तस्यामजनयत् पुत्रं राजानं बभ्रुवाहनम्। तं दृष्ट्वा पाण्डवो राजंश्चित्रवाहनमब्रवीत्॥
He saw there on the throne Babhruvahana, begotten by him (on Chitrangada). Seeing her, O king, the Pandava (Arjuna) said to Chitravahana.

चित्राङ्गदायाः शुल्कं त्वं गृहाण बभ्रुवाहनम्। अनेन च भविष्यामि ऋणान्मुक्तो नराधिप॥
O king! kindly accept this Babhruvahana as the subscription of Chitrangada. Thus, I will be free from your debt.

चित्राङ्गदां पुनर्वाक्यमब्रवीत् पाण्डुनन्दनः। इह वै भव भद्रं ते वर्धथा बभ्रुवाहनम्॥
Again the son of Pandu told ChitrangadaDear! May God grant you all happiness. You live here and protect Babhruvahana

इन्द्रप्रस्थनिवासं मे त्वं तत्रागत्य रंस्यसि। कुन्तीं युधिष्ठिरं भीमं भ्रातरौ मे कनीयसौ॥ आगत्य तत्र पश्येथा अन्यानपि च बान्धवान्। बान्धवैः सहिताः सर्वैनन्दसे त्वमनिन्दिते॥
In due course, you shall live extremely happily at our dwelling place Indraprastha. Reaching there, you shall get an opportunity to see my mother Kunti, Yudhisthira, Bhimsena, my younger brothers Nakula and Sahadeva and other relatives. O innocent lady! you shall be extremely pleased after meeting my all relatives.

धर्मे स्थितः सत्यधृतिः कौन्तेयोऽथ युधिष्ठिरः। जित्वा तु पृथिवीं सर्वां राजसूयं करिष्यति॥
Always crowned with righteousness and trutii, the son of Kunti, Yudhisthira after conquering whole earth will perform Rajsuya sacrifice.

तत्रागच्छन्ति राजानः पृथिव्यां नृपसंज्ञिताः। बहूनि रत्नान्यादाय आगमिष्यति ते पिता॥
At that time, all great kings of carth will arrive there. Your father too will come there with many gems (for gift).

एकसार्थं प्रयातासि चित्रवाहनसेवया। द्रक्ष्यामि राजसूये त्वां पुत्रं पालय मा शुचः॥
For the service of Chitravahana, you should come to attend Rajsuya sacrifice along with them, where I shall meet you. At this time, leave the grief and protect your child.

बभ्रुवाहननाम्ना तु मम प्राणो महीचरः। तस्माद् भरस्व पुत्रं वै पुरुषं वंशवर्धनम्॥
I am leaving on earth only because of Babhruvahana's name. Therefore, you should bring up this child who is spreader of our dynasty.

चित्रवाहनदायादं धर्मात् पौरवनन्दनम्। पाण्डवानां प्रियं पुत्रं तस्मात् पालय सर्वदा॥
He is the of Chitravahana by inheritance but in real he is the dearest son of Pandavas, therefore, you may protect him always.

विप्रयोगेन संतापं मा कृथास्त्वमनिन्दिते। चित्राङ्गदामेवमुक्त्वा गोकर्णमभितोऽगमत्॥
O chaste lady! you should not be sad. Thus telling to Chitrangada, Arjuna left for Gokarna tirtha.

आद्यं पशुपतेः स्थानं दर्शनादेव मुक्तिदम्। यत्र पापोऽपि मनुजः प्राप्नोत्यभयदं पदम्॥
This pilgrimage is the first place of lord Shiva and gives salvation only by seeing it and, where even a sinful man gets fearless place son