TIRTHAYATRA PARVA: Chapter 121

The story of Sukanya

लोमश उवाच नृगेण यजमानेन सोमेनेह पुरंदरः। तर्पितः श्रूयते राजन् स तृप्तो मुदमभ्यगात्॥
Lomasha said: O King, when Nriga performed sacrifices and gratified Purandara (Indra) with the offer of Soma juice, he became very much gratified and was much pleased.

इह देवैः सहेन्द्रश्च प्रजापतिभिरेव च। इष्टं बहुविधैर्यज्ञैर्महद्भिर्भूरिदक्षिणैः॥
Here did the celestials with Indra and Prajapati (Brahma) perform many sacrifices on a large scale and paid large Dakshinas to the ministering priests.

आमूर्तरयसश्चेह राजा वज्रधरं प्रभुम्। तर्पयामास सोमेन हयमेधेषु सप्तसु॥
Here king Amurtarasya offered oblations of Soma to the wielder of Vajra (Indra) in seven great horse-sacrifices.

तस्य सप्तसु यज्ञेषु सर्वमासीद्धिरण्मयम्। वानस्पत्यं च भौमं च यद्रव्यं नियतं मखे॥
The articles which in other sacrificial rites are uniformly made of timber, wood and of earth were all made of gold in these seven sacrifices.

चषालयूपचमसाः स्थाल्यः पात्र्यः स्रुचः सुवाः। तेष्वेव चास्य यज्ञेषु प्रयोगाः सप्त विश्रुताः॥
It is heard that in all these sacrifices seven sets of stakes, of rings for sacrificial stakes, of spots, ladles, utensils and spoons were prepared by him.

सप्तैकैकस्य यूपस्य चषालाचोपरि स्थिताः। तस्य स्म यूपान् यज्ञेषु भ्राजमानान् हिरण्मयान्॥ स्वयमुत्थापयामासुर्देवा: सेन्द्रा युधिष्ठिर। तेषु तस्य मखावयेषु गयस्य पृथिवीपतेः॥ अमाद्यदिन्द्रः सोमेन दक्षिणाभिजिातयः। प्रसंख्यानानसंख्येयान् प्रत्यगृहणन् द्विजातयः॥
On each sacrificial stakes seven rings were fastened at the top. O Yudhishthira, the celestials together with Indra erected the sacrificial stakes made of gold which were prepared for his sacred rites. In all these foremost of sacrifices of that great king Gaya, Indra was delighted by drinking the Soma juice and the ministering priests were gratified with the large Dakshinas they received. The Brahmanas obtained untold wealth.

सिकता वा यथा लोके यथा वा दिवि तारकाः। यथा वा वर्षतोधारा असंख्येयाः स्म केनचित्॥ तथैव तदसंख्येयंधनं यत् प्रददौ गयः। सदस्येभ्यो महाराज तेषु यज्ञेषु सप्तसु॥
As the sand-grains on earth, as stars in the firmament, as the rain drops when it rains cannot be counted. So the wealth that Gaya gave away could not be counted.

भवेत् संख्येयमेतद्धि यदेतत् परिकीर्तितम्। न तस्य शक्याः संख्यातुं दक्षिणा दक्षिणावतः॥
O great king, even the above mentioned objects might be counted, but the Dakshinas bestowed on the priests in those seven sacrifices could not be counted. Its largeness exceeded all that was known before.

हिरण्मयीभिर्गोभिश्च कृताभिर्विश्वकर्मणा। ब्राह्मणांस्तर्पयामास नानादिग्भ्यः समागतान्॥ अल्पावशेषा पृथिवी चैत्यैरासीन्महात्मनः। गयस्य यजमानस्य तत्र तत्र विशाम्पते।॥
The images of the goddess of speech were made of gold by Vishvakarma himself. The king gratified the Brahmanas by presenting them to those priests who came there from all directions. O king, when Gaya performed his sacrifices, he erected sacrificial stakes at so many places that little space was left (uncovered) on earth.

स लोकान् प्राप्तवानन्द्रान् कर्मणा तेन भारत। सलोकतां तस्य गच्छेत् पयोष्ण्यां य उपस्पृशेत्॥
O descendant of Bharata, he obtained the region of Indra by his that act. He who bathes in the Payoshini goes to the region obtained by him.

तस्मात् त्वमत्र राजेन्द्र भ्रातृभिः सहितोऽच्युत। उपस्पृश्य महीपालधूतपाप्मा भविष्यसि॥
Therefore, O king of kings, O undeteriorating one, O protector of earth, you and your brothers should bathe in this river; and then you will be freed from all sins.

वैशम्पायन उवाच स पयोष्ण्यां नरश्रेष्ठः स्नात्वा वै भ्रातृभिः सह। वैदूर्यपर्वतं चैव नर्मदां च महानदीम्॥ समागमत तेजस्वी भ्रातृभिः सहितोऽनघ। तत्रास्य सर्वाण्याचख्यौ लोमशो भगवानृषिः॥ तीर्थानि रमणीयानि पुण्यान्यायतनानि च। यथायोगं यथाप्रीति प्रययौ भ्रातृभिः सह। तत्र तत्राददाद् वित्तं ब्राह्मणेभ्यः सहस्रशः॥
Vaishampayana said : O foremost of men, O sinless one, having bathed in the Payoshini with his brothers, that great hero went with his brothers to the Vaidurya mountain and the great river Narmada. Lomasha narrated to him the accounts of all the sacred and charming Tirthas. He with his brothers then visited those places according to his desire and convenience. He gave away to the Brahmanas in this places by thousands.

लोमश उवाच देवानामेति कौन्तेय तथा राज्ञां सलोकताम्। वैदूर्यपर्वतं दृष्ट्वा नर्मदामवतीर्य च॥
Lomasha said: O son of Kunti, seeing the Vaidurya mountain and bathing in the Narmada, one obtains the region of the celestials and the kings.

संधिरेष नरश्रेष्ठ त्रेताया द्वापरस्य च। एनमासाद्य कौन्तेय सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते॥
O foremost of men, O son of Kunti, this is the junction of Treta and Kali (ages); this is the time when a person is cleansed of all his sins.

एष शर्यातियज्ञस्य देशस्तात प्रकाशते। साक्षाद् यत्रापिबत् सोममश्विभ्यां सह कौशिकः॥
O child, this is the place where Sharyati performed his sacrifice. Kaushika (Indra) with Ashvins appeared here in their visible forms and drank the Soma (juice).

चुकोप भार्गक्श्चापि महेन्द्रस्य महातपाः। संस्तम्भयामास च तं वासवं च्यवनः प्रभुः। सुकन्यां चापि भार्यां स राजपुत्रीमवाप्तवान्।॥
The greatly ascetic, the descendant of Bhrigu, was filled with anger against Indra. The lord Chyavana paralyzed Indra and obtained the princess Sukanya as his wife.

युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथं विष्टम्भितस्तेन भगवान् पाकशासनः। किमर्थं भार्गवश्चापि कोपं चक्रे महातपाः॥
Yudhishthira said: Why the exalted chastiser of Paka, Indra, was paralyzed and the great ascetic, the descendant of Bhrigu got angry against him?

नासत्यौ च कथं ब्रह्मन् कृतवान् सोमपीथिनौ। एतत् सर्वं यथावृत्तमाख्यातु भगवान् मम॥
O Brahmana, why he made the Ashvins, the drinkers of Soma? O exalted one, narrate all this to me in detail.