TIRTHAYATRA PARVA: Chapter 156

Arrival at the Nara Narayana hermitage

वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्मिन् निवसमानोऽथधर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः। कृष्णया सहितान् भ्रातृनित्युवाच सहद्विजान्॥
Vaishampayana Said When they all living there, Yudhishthira thus spoke to Krishna (Draupadi), his brothers and the Brahmanas.

दृष्टानि तीर्थान्यस्माभिः पुण्यानि च शिवानि च। मनसो ह्लादनीयानि वनानि च पृथक् पृथक्॥
"We have alternately soon one after another many sacred and auspicious Tirthas and wood all delightful to look at.

देवैः पूर्वं विचीर्णानि मुनिभिश्च महात्मभिः। यथाक्रमविशेषेण द्विजैः सम्पूजितानि च॥
They had been before visited by the celestials and the high-souled Rishis. They had been worshipped by the Brahmanas.

ऋषीणां पूर्वचरितं तथा कर्म विचेष्टितम्। राजर्षीणां च चरितं कथाश्च विविधाः शुभाः॥ शृण्वानास्तत्र तत्र स्म आश्रमेषु शिवेषु च। अभिषेकं द्विजैः सार्धं कृतवन्तो विशेषतः॥
We have in various sacred hermitages performed ablutions with the Brahmanas; we have also heard from them the accounts of the) lives and acts of many Rishis and also of many royal sages of yore and also other pleasant stories.

अर्चिताः सततं देवाः पुष्पैरद्भिः सदा च वः। यथालब्धैर्मूलफलैः पितरचापि तर्पिताः॥
We have worshipped the celestials with flowers and water, we have offered oblations to the Pitris with fruits and roots as were available there.

पर्वतेषु च रम्येषु सर्वेषु च सरस्सु च। उदधौ च महापुण्ये सूपस्पृष्टं महात्मभिः॥
We have with the high-souled Rishis performed our ablutions in all the sacred and beautiful mountains and lakes and also in the highly holy sea.

इला सरस्वती सिन्धुर्यमुना नर्मदा तथा। नानातीर्थेषु रम्येषु सूपस्पृष्टं सह द्विजैः॥
We have with the Brahmanas bathed in the Ila, in the Sarasvati, in the Sindhu, in the Yamuna, in the Narmada and in various other charming Tirthas.

गङ्गाद्वारमतिक्रम्य बहवः पर्वताः शुभाः। हिमवान् पर्वतश्चैव नानाद्विजगणायुतः॥
Having passed the source of the Ganges, we have seen many charming mountains and also the Himalayas, inhabited by various kinds of birds;

विशाला बदरी दृष्टा नरनारायणाश्रमः। दिव्या पुष्करिणी दृष्टा सिद्धदेवर्षिपूजिता॥
And also the great Badari, where there is the herinitage of Nara and Narayana. We have seen the celestials lake adored by the Siddhas and he celestials Rishis.

यथाक्रमविशेषेण सर्वाण्यायतनानि च। दर्शितानि द्विजश्रेष्ठा लोमशेन महात्मना॥
O foremost of Brahmanas, we have one after the other seen all the celebrated and sacred places with the high souled Lomasha.

इमं वैश्रवणावासं पुण्यं सिद्धनिषेवितम्। कथं भीम गमिष्यामो गतिरन्तरधीयताम्।१२।।
O Bhima, now we shall go to the yonder abode of Vaisravana (Kubera) frequented by the Siddhas. Think of the means of entering it."

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं ब्रुवति राजेन्द्रे वागुवाचाशरीरिणी। न शक्यो दुर्गमो गन्तुमितो वैश्रवणाश्रमात्॥
When that king of kings had said this, an invisible voice spoke thus, “You will not be able to go to the inaccessible abode of Vaisravana.

अनेनैव पथा राजन् प्रतिगच्छ यथागतम्। नरनारायणस्थानं बदरीत्यभिविश्रुतम्॥
By this way, O king, go back from this place to the place whence you have come, to the hermitage of Nara Narayana which is called Badari.

तस्माद् यास्यसि कौन्तेय सिद्धचारणसेवितम्। बहुपुष्पफलं रम्यमाश्रमं वृषपर्वणः॥
O son of Kunti, from that place you will go to the hermitage of Vrishaparva abounding in flowers and fruits and frequented by the Siddhas and the Charanas,

अतिक्रम्य च तं पार्थ त्वाष्टिषेणाश्रमे वसेः। ततो द्रक्ष्यसि कौन्तेय निवेशंधनदस्य च॥
O son of Pritha, having passed it, you will go to the hermitage of Arshnisena and O son of Kunti, from that place you will see the abode of Kubera."

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे वायुर्दिव्यगन्धवहः शुचिः। सुखप्रह्लादनः शीत: पुष्पवर्षं ववर्ष च॥
Just as that moment the breeze became fresh, charming, cool and full of celestials fragrance and it showered flowers.

श्रुत्वा तु दिव्यामाकाशाद् वाचं सर्वे विसिस्मियुः। ऋषीणां ब्राह्मणानां च पार्थिवानां विशेषतः॥
On hearing the celestials voice in the sky they were all surprised, more specially the Rishis and Brahmanas (who were with the Pandavas).

श्रुत्वा तन्महदाश्चर्यं द्विजोधौम्योऽब्रवीत् तदा। न शक्यमुत्तरं वक्तुमेवं भवतु भारत॥
On hearing this great wonder, the Brahmana Dhaumya said, "O descendant of Bharata, this should not be gain said. Let this be so."

ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा प्रतिजग्राह तद् वचः। प्रत्यागम्य पुनस्तं तु नरनारायणाश्रमम्॥
Thereupon the king Yudhishthira accepted his words. Having returned to the hermitage of Nara and Narayana,

भीमसेनादिभिः सर्वैर्धातृभिः परिवारितः। पाञ्चाल्या ब्राह्मणाश्चैव न्यवसन्त सुखं तदा॥
He happily lived there surrounded by Bhimasena and his other brothers and also by the Panchala princess and the Brahmanas.