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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 248

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 248

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 248

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 248 of the classical Mahābhārata with 22 verses.

Total: 22 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.248.1–22 • 250 Lexicon Terms
य इमे पृथिवीपालाः शेरते पृथिवीतले । पृतनामध्य एते हि गतसत्त्वा महाबलाः ॥
English Translation
Yudhisthira said These kings who lie on the Earth's surface amid their respective armies, these princes of great power, are now all deprived of life.
एकैकशो भीमबला नागायुतबलास्तथा । एते हि निहताः संख्ये तुल्यतेजोबलैर्नरैः ॥
English Translation
Every one of these powerful kings was endued with strength equal to that of ten thousand elephants. Alas! these have all have killed by men equally powerful and strong.
नैषां पश्यामि हन्तारं प्राणिनां संयुगे पुरा । विक्रमेणोपसंपन्नास्तेजोबलसमन्विताः ॥
English Translation
I do not see any one else that could kill any of these men in battle. All of them were gifted with great prowess, great energy, and great strength.
अथ चेमे महाप्राज्ञ शेरते हि गतासवः । मृता इति च शब्दोऽयं वर्तत्येषु गतासुषु ॥
English Translation
Highly wise, they are now lying dead on the naked earth. about them, however, that are deprived of life, the word that is used is that they are dead.
इमे मृता नृपतयः प्रायशो भीमविक्रमाः । तत्र मे संशयो जातः कुतः संज्ञा मृता इति ॥
English Translation
All these highly powerful kings are said to be dead. On this subject a doubt lies in my mind. Whence is life and whence is death.
कस्य मृत्युः कुतो मृत्युः केन मृत्युरिह प्रजाः । हरत्यमरसंकाश तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥
English Translation
Who is it that dies? whence is death? Whence is death? Why does death take away living creatures. O grandfather, tell me this, O you who are like a god.
पुरा कृतयुगे तात राजासीदविकम्पकः । स शत्रुवशमापन्नः संग्रामे क्षीणवाहनः ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said In days of yore, in the Krita age, O son, there was a king of the name of Anukampaka. His cars, elephants, horse and men having been reduced in number, he succumbed to the power of his enemies in battle.
तत्र पुत्रो हरिर्नाम नारायणसमो बले । स शत्रुभिर्हतः संख्ये सबलः सपदानुगः ॥
English Translation
His son, named Hari, who was like Narayana himself in strength, was in that battle killed by his enemies along with all his followers and troops.
स राजा शत्रुवशगः पुत्रशोकसमन्वितः । यदृच्छयाशान्तिपरो ददर्श भुवि नारदम् ॥
English Translation
Stricken with grief consequent on the death of his son, and himself brought under the control of enemies, the king devoted himself thence to a life of peacefulness. One day, while wandering listlessly he met the sage Narada on the Earth.
स तस्मै सर्वमाचष्ट यथा वृत्तं जनेश्वरः । शत्रुभिर्ग्रहणं संख्ये पुत्रस्य मरणं तथा ॥
English Translation
The king told Narada all that had taken place, viz., the death of his son in battle and his own capture by his enemies.
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा नारदोऽथ तपोधनः । आख्यानमिदमाचष्ट पुत्रशोकापहं तदा ॥
English Translation
Having heard him Narada, endued with wealth of penances, then recited to him the following narrative for removing his grief consequent on the death of his son.
राजञ्शृणु समाख्यानमद्येदं बहुविस्तरम् । यथा वृत्तं श्रुतं चैव मयापि वसुधाधिप ॥
English Translation
Narada said Listen now, O king, to the following long narrative which had taken place. I myself heard it formerly, O king!
प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा महातेजाः प्रजासर्गे पितामहः । अतीव वृद्धा बहुला नामृष्यत पुनः प्रजाः ॥
English Translation
Endued with great energy, the Grandfather, at the time of the creation of the universe, created a large number of living beings. These multiplied greatly, and none of them died.
न ह्यन्तरमभूत्किंचित्क्वचिज्जन्तुभिरच्युत । निरुच्छ्वासमिवोन्नद्धं त्रैलोक्यमभवन्नृप ॥
English Translation
There was not a part of the universe which was not overcrowded with living creatures, O you of great glory! Indeed, O king, the three worlds appeared to swell with living beings, and became, as it were, breathless.
तस्य चिन्ता समुत्पन्ना संहारं प्रति भूपते । चिन्तयन्नाध्यगच्छच्च संहारे हेतुकारणम् ॥
English Translation
Then, O king, the Grandfather thought as to how he should destroy the surplus population. Thinking of the matter, the Self-create, however, could not decide by what means the destruction of life was to be performed.
तस्य रोषान्महाराज खेभ्योऽग्निरुदतिष्ठत । तेन सर्वा दिशो राजन्ददाह स पितामहः ॥
English Translation
Thereupon, O king, Brahman gave way to anger and in consequence of his anger a fire issued out of his body. With that fire born of his anger, the Grandfather burnt all the quarters of the universe, O king.
ततो दिवं भुवं खं च जगच्च सचराचरम् । ददाह पावको राजन्भगवत्कोपसंभवः ॥
English Translation
Indeed, that fire begotten of the Divine Lord's anger, O king, burnt Heaven and Earth and the Sky and the whole Universe with all its mobile and immobile beings.
तत्रादह्यन्त भूतानि जङ्गमानि ध्रुवाणि च । महता कोपवेगेन कुपिते प्रपितामहे ॥
English Translation
Truly, when the Grandfather thus became angry, all mobile and immobile beings began to be consumed by the irresistible power of that anger.
ततो हरिजटः स्थाणुर्वेदाध्वरपतिः शिवः । जगाद शरणं देवो ब्रह्माणं परवीरहा ॥
English Translation
Then the divine and sacred Sthanu, that destroyer of hostile heroes, that lord of the Vedas and the scriptures, filled with pity, tried to please Brahma.
तस्मिन्नभिगते स्थाणौ प्रजानां हितकाम्यया । अब्रवीद्वरदो देवो ज्वलन्निव तदा शिवम् ॥
English Translation
When Sthanu came to Brahma out of feelings of benevolence, the great God addressed him, saying,-you deserved boons at my hands! What desire of yours shall I fulfil? I shall do you good by doing whatever you wish.
करवाण्यद्य कं कामं वरार्होऽसि मतो मम । कर्ता ह्यस्मि प्रियं शंभो तव यद्धृदि वर्तते ॥
English Translation
When Sthanu came to Brahma out of feelings of benevolence, the great God addressed him, saying,-you deserved boons at my hands! What desire of yours shall I fulfil? I shall do you good by doing whatever you wish.
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