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Mahābhārata • Parva 14 (Aśvamedhikaparva) • Adhyāya 4

Aśvamedhikaparva Adhyāya 4

अश्वमेधिकपर्व • अध्यायः 4

Aśvamedhikaparva Adhyāya 4 of the classical Mahābhārata with 28 verses.

Total: 28 Verses • Citations: MBh 14.4.1–28 • 250 Lexicon Terms
शुश्रूषे तस्य धर्मज्ञ राजर्षेः परिकीर्तनम् । द्वैपायन मरुत्तस्य कथां प्रब्रूहि मेऽनघ ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said O righteous one, I wish to hear the history of that royal sage Marutta. Do you ( Dvaipayana, describe this to me, O sinless one.
आसीत्कृतयुगे पूर्वं मनुर्दण्डधरः प्रभुः । तस्य पुत्रो महेष्वासः प्रजातिरिति विश्रुतः ॥
English Translation
Vyasa said O child, in the golden age Manu was lord wielding the sceptre. His son was known under the name of Prasandhi.
प्रजातेरभवत्पुत्रः क्षुप इत्यभिविश्रुतः । क्षुपस्य पुत्रस्त्विक्ष्वाकुर्महीपालोऽभवत्प्रभुः ॥
English Translation
Prasandhi had a son named Kshupa. Kshupa's son was king Ikshvaku.
तस्य पुत्रशतं राजन्नासीत्परमधार्मिकम् । तांस्तु सर्वान्महीपालानिक्ष्वाकुरकरोत्प्रभुः ॥
English Translation
He, O king, had a hundred sons possessed of pre-eminent picty. And all of them were inade monarchs by king Ikshvaku.
तेषां ज्येष्ठस्तु विंशोऽभूत्प्रतिमानं धनुष्मताम् । विंशस्य पुत्रः कल्याणो विविंशो नाम भारत ॥
English Translation
The eldest of them, Vinsha, became an ideal bowman. Vinsha's son, O Bharata, was the auspicious Vivinsha.
विविंशस्य सुता राजन्बभूवुर्दश पञ्च च । सर्वे धनुषि विक्रान्ता ब्रह्मण्याः सत्यवादिनः ॥
English Translation
Vivinsha, O king, had fifteen sons; all of them powerful archers, respecting Brahmanas and speaking the truth, gentle and everspeaking fair. The eldest brother Khaninetra, oppressed all his brothers.
दानधर्मरताः सन्तः सततं प्रियवादिनः । तेषां ज्येष्ठः खनीनेत्रः स तान्सर्वानपीडयत् ॥
English Translation
Vivinsha, O king, had fifteen sons; all of them powerful archers, respecting Brahmanas and speaking the truth, gentle and everspeaking fair. The eldest brother Khaninetra, oppressed all his brothers.
खनीनेत्रस्तु विक्रान्तो जित्वा राज्यमकण्टकम् । नाशक्नोद्रक्षितुं राज्यं नान्वरज्यन्त तं प्रजाः ॥
English Translation
And having conquered the entire kingdom shorn of all troubles, Khaninetra, could not retain his supremacy; nor were the people satisfied with him.
तमपास्य च तद्राष्ट्रं तस्य पुत्रं सुवर्चसम् । अभ्यषिञ्चत राजेन्द्र मुदितं चाभवत्तदा ॥
English Translation
And dethroning him, they, O foremost of kings invested his son Suvarcha with the rights of sovereignty, and experiences joy.
स पितुर्विक्रियां दृष्ट्वा राज्यान्निरसनं तथा । नियतो वर्तयामास प्रजाहितचिकीर्षया ॥
English Translation
Seeing the reverses of his father and his expulsion from the empire he was ever busy with encompassing the well-being of the people, being devoted to Brahman, speaking the truth, practising purity and controlling his senses and thoughts. And the subjects were well-pleased with that grcat one constant in virtue.
ब्रह्मण्यः सत्यवादी च शुचिः शमदमान्वितः । प्रजास्तं चान्वरज्यन्त धर्मनित्यं मनस्विनम् ॥
English Translation
Seeing the reverses of his father and his expulsion from the empire he was ever busy with encompassing the well-being of the people, being devoted to Brahman, speaking the truth, practising purity and controlling his senses and thoughts. And the subjects were well-pleased with that grcat one constant in virtue.
तस्य धर्मप्रवृत्तस्य व्यशीर्यत्कोशवाहनम् । तं क्षीणकोशं सामन्ताः समन्तात्पर्यपीडयन् ॥
English Translation
But he being constantly engaged in virtuous Works, His treasures and vehicles became greatly reduced. And on his treasury having become exhausted, the feudatory princes gathered round him and began to gave him trouble.
स पीड्यमानो बहुभिः क्षीणकोशस्त्ववाहनः । आर्तिमार्छत्परां राजा सह भृत्यैः पुरेण च ॥
English Translation
Being thus oppressed by many enemies while his treasury, horses and vehicles were impoverished, the king suffered great tribulation along with his retainers and the citizens.
न चैनं परिहर्तुं तेऽशक्नुवन्परिसंक्षये । सम्यग्वृत्तो हि राजा स धर्मनित्यो युधिष्ठिर ॥
English Translation
Although his power decreased greatly, yet the enemies could not kill the king, for his power, ( Yudhishthira, was established in virtue.
यदा तु परमामार्तिं गतोऽसौ सपुरो नृपः । ततः प्रदध्मौ स करं प्रादुरासीत्ततो बलम् ॥
English Translation
And when he had reached the worst point of misery along with the citizens, he blew his hand, and from that there appeared a supply of forces.
ततस्तानजयत्सर्वान्प्रातिसीमान्नराधिपान् । एतस्मात्कारणाद्राजन्विश्रुतः स करंधमः ॥
English Translation
And then he defeated all the kings living along the borders of his dominions And from this incident, O king, he hath been celebrated as Karandhama.
तस्य कारंधमः पुत्रस्त्रेतायुगमुखेऽभवत् । इन्द्रादनवरः श्रीमान्देवैरपि सुदुर्जयः ॥
English Translation
His son, Karandhama was born at the commencement of the Treta age, equalling Indra himself, gifted with grace, and invincible even by the immortals.
तस्य सर्वे महीपाला वर्तन्ते स्म वशे तदा । स हि सम्राडभूत्तेषां वृत्तेन च बलेन च ॥
English Translation
At that time all the kings were under his control; and alike by virtue of his riches and of prowess, he became their emperor.
अविक्षिन्नाम धर्मात्मा शौर्येणेन्द्रसमोऽभवत् । यज्ञशीलः कर्मरतिर्धृतिमान्संयतेन्द्रियः ॥
English Translation
In short, the righteous king Avikshit became like Indra himself in Heroism; and he was given to sacrifices, delighted in virtue and held his senses under control.
तेजसादित्यसदृशः क्षमया पृथिवीसमः । बृहस्पतिसमो बुद्ध्या हिमवानिव सुस्थिरः ॥
English Translation
And in energy he resembled the sun and in patience, Earth herself; in intelligence, he was like Brihaspati, and in calmness the mountain Himavan himself.
कर्मणा मनसा वाचा दमेन प्रशमेन च । मनांस्याराधयामास प्रजानां स महीपतिः ॥
English Translation
And that king pleased the hearts of his subjects by act, thought, speech, self control, and forbearance.
य ईजे हयमेधानां शतेन विधिवत्प्रभुः । याजयामास यं विद्वान्स्वयमेवाङ्गिराः प्रभुः ॥
English Translation
The lords who celebrated hundreds of Horse-Sacrifices, and whom the powerful and learned Angira himself served as priest.
तस्य पुत्रोऽतिचक्राम पितरं गुणवत्तया । मरुत्तो नाम धर्मज्ञश्चक्रवर्ती महायशाः ॥
English Translation
His son excelled his father in the possession of good qualities; named Marutta, that lord of kings was righteous and of great fame; having the power of ten thousand elephants, and like unto Vishnu's second self.
नागायुतसमप्राणः साक्षाद्विष्णुरिवापरः । स यक्ष्यमाणो धर्मात्मा शातकुम्भमयान्युत । कारयामास शुभ्राणि भाजनानि सहस्रशः ॥
मेरुं पर्वतमासाद्य हिमवत्पार्श्व उत्तरे । काञ्चनः सुमहान्पादस्तत्र कर्म चकार सः ॥
ततः कुण्डानि पात्रीश्च पिठराण्यासनानि च । चक्रुः सुवर्णकर्तारो येषां संख्या न विद्यते ॥
तस्यैव च समीपे स यज्ञवाटो बभूव ह । ईजे तत्र स धर्मात्मा विधिवत्पृथिवीपतिः । मरुत्तः सहितैः सर्वैः प्रजापालैर्नराधिपः ॥
English Translation
And the sacrificial ground was near this place. And that righteous king Marutta, with other princes, celebrated a sacrifice there.
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