वैशम्पायन उवाच गतेषु लोकपालेषु पार्थः शत्रुनिबर्हणः। चिन्तयामास राजेन्द्र देवराजरथं प्रति।।।।
Vaishampayana said : O king of kings, after the Lokapalas had gone away, Partha, the repressor of enemies, began to think of the chariot of the king of celestials.
ततश्चिन्तयमानस्य गुडाकेशस्यधीमतः। रथो मातलिसंयुक्त आजगाम महाप्रभः॥
While the intelligent (Arjuna) of controlled senses was thinking, the highly-effulgent car having Matali as its charioteer came there.
नभो वितिमिरं कुर्वञ्जलदान् पाटयन्निव। दिशः सम्पूरयन् नादैर्महामेघरवोपमैः॥
Making the sky devastated of darkness, dividing the clouds and filling the quarters with a sound resembling that of huge clouds.
असयः शक्तयो भीमा गदाश्चोग्रप्रदर्शनाः। दिव्यप्रभावाः प्रासाश्च विद्युतश्च महाप्रभाः॥ तथैवाशनयश्चैव चक्रयुक्तास्तुलागुडाः। वायुस्फोटाः सनिर्घाता महामेघस्वनास्तथा॥
Dreadful swords and missiles, terriblelooking maces, Prasas of celestials prowess and highly effulgent lightning. Thunder-bolts, Tulagudas (canon) furnished with wheels and worked with atmospheric expansion and emitting sounds resembling that of huge clouds were on the car.
तत्र नागा महाकाया ज्वलितास्याः सुदारुणाः। सिताभ्रकूटप्रतिमाः संहताश्च तथोपलाः॥
There (were) huge-bodied and fierce Nagas having fiery mouths heaps of stones white as the fleecy clouds.
दशवाजिसहस्राणिः हरीणां वातरंहसाम्। वहन्ति यं नेत्रमुषं दिव्यं मायामयं रथम्॥
Ten thousand horses of golden colour gifted with the speed of wind drew that celestials car full of illusion (with such velocity) that hardly could the eye see it.
तत्रापश्यन्महानीलं वैजयन्तं महाप्रभम्। ध्वजमिन्दीवरश्यामं वंशं कनकभूषणम्॥
There he saw the greatly effulgent and blue flag-staff called Vaijayanta resembling the dark blue lotus and adorned with gold and straight as bamboo.
तस्मिन् रथे स्थितं सूतं तप्तहेमविभूषितम्। दृष्ट्वा पार्थो महाबाहुर्देवमेवान्वतर्कयत्॥
Beholding seated on that car a charioteer adorned with burning gold, the mighty-armed son of Pritha, considered it as belonging to the celestials.
तथा तर्कयतस्तस्य फाल्गुनस्याथ मातलिः। संनतः प्रस्थितो भूत्वा वाक्यमर्जुनमब्रवीत्॥
Thereupon while Falguni was thus thinking about the car, Matali, descending and bending himself low, said to Arjuna.
मातलिरुवाच भो भोः शक्रात्मज श्रीमाञ्छक्रस्त्वां द्रष्टुमिच्छति आरोहतु भवाञ्छीघ्रं रथमिन्द्रस्य सम्मतम्॥
Matali said: O lucky one, O son of Shakra, Shakra wants to see you, ascend speedily this car sent by Indra.
आह माममरश्रेष्ठः पिता तव शतक्रतुः। कुन्तीसुतमिह प्राप्तं पश्यन्तु त्रिदशालयाः॥ एष शक्रः परिवृतो देवैर्ऋषिगणैस्तथा। गन्धर्वैरप्सरोभिश्च त्वां दिदृक्षुः प्रतीक्षते॥
Your father, the foremost of the immortals and the performer of a thousand sacrifices said to me, “Bring the son of Kunti here and let the celestials see him.” Shakra encircled by the celestials and Rishis, Gandharvas and Apsaras, is waiting to see you.
अस्माल्लोकाद् देवलोकं पाकशासनशासनात्। आरोह त्वं मया साधु लब्धास्त्रः पुनरेष्यसि॥
By the command of the chastiser of Paka ascend with me from this region to that of the celestials and having obtained the weapon return therefrom.
अर्जुन उवाच मातले गच्छ शीघ्रं त्वमारोहस्व रथोत्तमम्। राजसूयाश्वमेधानां शतैरपि सुदुर्लभम्॥
Arjuna said : O Matali, go soon and make me ascend this best of cars that cannot be obtained even by a hundred Rajasuya and horse-sacrifices.
पार्थिवैः सुमहाभागैर्यज्वभिर्भूरिदक्षिणैः। दैवतैर्वा समारोढुं दानवैर्वा रथोत्तमम्॥
Even kings, rendered illustrious by scarifies accompanied with proper gifts, celestials of Danavas are not capable of riding this excellent car.
नातप्ततपसा शक्य एष दिव्यो महारथः। द्रष्टुं वाप्यथवा स्प्रष्टुमारोढुं कुत एव च॥
He who has not acquired ascetic merit is not capable of seeing and touching this excellent car far from riding it.
त्वयि प्रतिष्ठिते साधो रथस्थे स्थिरवाजिनि। पश्चादहमथारोक्ष्ये सुकृती सत्पथ यथा।॥
O sage, after you have mounted it, after horses have become quiet, I will mount it like a pious man following the road of honesty.
वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा मातलिः शक्रसारथिः। आरुरोह रथं शीघ्रं हयान् येमे च रश्मिभिः॥
Vaishampayana said : Hearing his words, Matali, Shakra charioteer, speedily mounted the chariot and controlled the steeds with reins.
ततोऽर्जुनो हृष्टमना गङ्गायामाप्लुतः शुचिः। जजाप जप्यं कौन्तेयो विधिवत् कुरुनन्दनः॥
Thereupon Arjuna, the descendant of Kuru and the son of Kunti bathing in the Ganges and becoming purified and with a contented mind, duly repeated his customary prayers.
ततः पितृन् यथान्यायं तर्पयित्वा यथाविधि। मन्दरं शैलराजं तमाप्रष्टुमुपचक्रमे॥
Thereupon duly and according to the ordinances offering oblation to the manes he began to invoke Mandara the king of mountains.
साधूनां पुण्यशीलानां मुनीनां पुण्यकर्मणाम्। त्वं सदा संश्रयः शैल स्वर्गमार्गाभिकाक्षिणाम्॥
“O you mountain, you are always the refuge of the pious and god-charactered sages seek in heaven.
त्वत्प्रसादात् सदा शैल ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया विशः। स्वर्ग प्राप्ताश्चरन्ति स्म देवैः सह गतव्यथा।॥
By your favour, mountain, the Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas attain to heaven and rid of afflictions sport with the celestials.
अद्रिराज महाशैल मुनिसंश्रय तीर्थवन्। गच्छाम्यामन्त्रयामि त्वां सुखमस्म्युषितस्त्वयि॥
O king of mountains, O great mountain, O you that contain sages and sacred shrines, I lived happily on you; I go today bidding you farewell.
तव सानूनि कुञ्जाश्च नद्यः प्रस्रवणानि च। तीर्थानि च सुपुण्यानि मया दृष्टान्यनेकशः॥
Many a time and often have I seen your table-lands and bowers, your springs and rivulets and your sacred shrines.
फलानि च सुगन्धीनि भक्षितानि ततस्ततः। सुसुगन्धाश्च वार्योधास्त्वच्छरीरविनिःसृताः॥ अमृतास्वादनीया मे पीताः प्रस्रवणोदकाः।
I have eaten you savoury fruits and have satisfied my thirst with draughts of perfumed water coming out from your body. I have drunk the water of your spring tasting like nectar.
शिशुर्यथा पितुरङ्के सुसुखं वर्तते नग॥ तथा तवाङ्के ललितं शैलराज मया प्रभो।
O mountain, As a child happily lives on the lap of his sire, so I have sported on your lap
अप्सरोगणसंकीर्णे ब्रह्मघोषानुनादिते॥ सुखमस्म्युषितः शैल तव सानुषु नित्यदा।
O king of mountains, on your lap filled with Apsaras and resounding with the recitations of the Vedas. I always lived happily on your table-lands
एवमुक्त्वार्जुनः शैलमामन्त्र्य परवीरहा॥ आरुरोह रथं दिव्यं द्योतयन्निव भास्करः।
Having thus welcomed and said to the mountain, Arjuna, the slayer of hostile heroes, blazing like the sun, ascended the celestials car.
स तेनादित्यरूपेण दिव्येनाद्भुतकर्मणा॥ ऊर्ध्वमाचक्रमेधीमान् प्रहृष्टः कुरुनन्दनः। सोऽदर्शनपथं यातो मानांधर्मचारिणाम्॥
And that intelligent descendant of Kuru, with a delighted heart coursed through the welkin in that car of wonderful deeds resembling the sun in its form. And coming within the view of pious mortals.
ददर्शाद्भुतरूपाणि विमानानि सहस्रशः। न तत्र सूर्यः सोमो वा द्योतते न च पावकः॥
He espied thousands of chariots of wondrous make. There did not shine the sun, the nioon or the fire.
स्वयैव प्रभया तत्र द्योतन्ते पुण्यलब्धया। तारारूपाणि यानीह दृश्यन्ते द्युतिमन्ति वै॥ दीपवद् विप्रकृष्टत्वात् तनूनि सुमहान्त्यपि। तानि तत्र प्रभास्वन्ति रूपवन्ति च पाण्डवः॥ ददर्श स्वेषु धिष्ण्येषु दीप्तिमन्तः स्वयार्चिषा। तत्र राजर्षयः सिद्धा वीराश्च निहता युधि॥
But it blazed in its own light begotten of virtue and ascetic merit. And those brilliant regions that are seen from the earth in the form of stars. Like lamps, too small on account of the distance, though very large, were seen in their own spheres, by the son of Pandu full of beauty and brilliance and shinning in their native splendour. (There he saw) royal sages of accomplished piety, heroes who had been slain in battle.
तपसा च जितं स्वर्गं सम्पेतुः शतसङ्घशः। गन्धर्वाणां सहस्राणि सूर्यज्वलिततेजसाम्॥ गुह्यकानामृषीणां च तथैवाप्सरसां गणान्। लोकानात्मप्रभान् पश्यन् फाल्गुनो विस्मयान्वितः।३७॥
And those who had obtained heaven by their devout penances, hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Gandharvas shinning in effulgence like the sun and also Guhyakas, Rishis and various Apsaras. Beholding those self-effulgent regions, Falguni, stricken with wonder.
पप्रच्छ मातलिं प्रीत्या स चाप्येनमुवाच ह। एते सुकृतिनः पार्थ स्वेषु धिष्ण्येष्ववस्थिताः॥ तान् दृष्टवानसि विभो तारारूपाणि भूतले।
Accosted Matali, who gladly replied, saying, "These are pious persons, O son of Pritha, stationed in their respective spheres, whom, you have seen, O lord, from the earth in the form of stars."
ततोऽपश्यत् स्थितं द्वारि शुभं वैजयिनं गजम्॥ ऐरावतं चतुर्दन्तं कैलासमिव शृङ्गिणम्। स सिद्धमार्गमाक्रम्य कुरुपाण्डवसत्तमः॥ व्यरोचत यथापूर्वं मान्धाता पार्थिवोत्तमः। अभिचक्राम लोकान् स राज्ञां राजीवलोचनः॥
Then he saw standing at the gate, the white and ever victorious elephant, Airavata, having four tusks resembling the mount Kailasa with its summits. And passing along the path of the Siddhas that foremost of Kurus and Pandavas shone like Mandhata, the best of kings in the days of yore. And he, having lotus eyes, passed through (various) regions set apart for the kings.
एवं स संक्रमंस्तत्र स्वर्गलोके महायशाः। ततो ददर्श शक्रस्य पुरी ताममरावतीम्॥
Having thus passed through the celestials regions, the highly illustrious (Arjuna) at last beheld India's city Amaravati.