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Mahābhārata • Parva 9 (Śalyaparva) • Adhyāya 42

Śalyaparva Adhyāya 42

शल्यपर्व • अध्यायः 42

Śalyaparva Adhyāya 42 of the classical Mahābhārata with 42 verses.

Total: 42 Verses • Citations: MBh 9.42.1–42 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 2 (Verses 30 shown)
सा शप्ता तेन क्रुद्धेन विश्वामित्रेण धीमता । तस्मिंस्तीर्थवरे शुभ्रे शोणितं समुपावहत् ॥
English Translation
Vaishampayana said "Cursed by the intelligent Vishvamitra in anger, Sarasvati, in that sacred and best of tirthas, flowed in bloody current.
अथाजग्मुस्ततो राजन्राक्षसास्तत्र भारत । तत्र ते शोणितं सर्वे पिबन्तः सुखमासते ॥
English Translation
Then, O king, many Rakshasas come and lived happily there, drinking the blood that flowed.
तृप्ताश्च सुभृशं तेन सुखिता विगतज्वराः । नृत्यन्तश्च हसन्तश्च यथा स्वर्गजितस्तथा ॥
English Translation
Highly pleased with that blood, cheerfully and without anxiety of any kind, they danced and laughed there like persons that have (by virtue) attained to heaven.
कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य ऋषयः सतपोधनाः । तीर्थयात्रां समाजग्मुः सरस्वत्यां महीपते ॥
English Translation
After some time had passed away, some Rishis, having asceticism for their wealth, came to the Sarasvati, O king, on pilgrimage.
तेषु सर्वेषु तीर्थेषु आप्लुत्य मुनिपुंगवाः । प्राप्य प्रीतिं परां चापि तपोलुब्धा विशारदाः । प्रययुर्हि ततो राजन्येन तीर्थं हि तत्तथा ॥
English Translation
Those foremost of ascetics, having bathed in all the tirthas and obtained great delight, became desirous of acquiring more merit. Those learned sages at last came. O king, to that tirtha where the Sarasvati flowed in a bloody current. Those highly blessed Rishis, arriving at that frightful tirtha.
अथागम्य महाभागास्तत्तीर्थं दारुणं तदा । दृष्ट्वा तोयं सरस्वत्याः शोणितेन परिप्लुतम् । पीयमानं च रक्षोभिर्बहुभिर्नृपसत्तम ॥
English Translation
Beheld the water of the Sarasvati mixed with blood and numberless Rakshasas, O king, drinking it.
तान्दृष्ट्वा राक्षसान्राजन्मुनयः संशितव्रताः । परित्राणे सरस्वत्याः परं यत्नं प्रचक्रिरे ॥
English Translation
Seeing those Rakshasas, O king, those ascetics of rigid vows tried much for rescuing the Sarasvati from that condition.
ते तु सर्वे महाभागाः समागम्य महाव्रताः । आहूय सरितां श्रेष्ठामिदं वचनमब्रुवन् ॥
English Translation
Arriving there, those Rishis invoked that foremost of rivers and said to her-"Tell us the reason, O auspicious lady, why this lake in you has been distressed with such a plight. Hearing it, we shall use our efforts to restore its pristine condition.
कारणं ब्रूहि कल्याणि किमर्थं ते ह्रदो ह्ययम् । एवमाकुलतां यातः श्रुत्वा पास्यामहे वयम् ॥
English Translation
Arriving there, those Rishis invoked that foremost of rivers and said to her-"Tell us the reason, O auspicious lady, why this lake in you has been distressed with such a plight. Hearing it, we shall use our efforts to restore its pristine condition.
ततः सा सर्वमाचष्ट यथावृत्तं प्रवेपती । दुःखितामथ तां दृष्ट्वा त ऊचुर्वै तपोधनाः ॥
English Translation
Thus accosted, Sarasvati, trembling as she spoke, informed them of everything that had taken place. Seeing her thus woe-begone, those ascetics told her-
कारणं श्रुतमस्माभिः शापश्चैव श्रुतोऽनघे । करिष्यन्ति तु यत्प्राप्तं सर्व एव तपोधनाः ॥
English Translation
"We have heard of your curse, O sinless lady! All of us shall try."
एवमुक्त्वा सरिच्छ्रेष्ठामूचुस्तेऽथ परस्परम् । विमोचयामहे सर्वे शापादेतां सरस्वतीम् ॥
English Translation
Having said so to that foremost of rivers, they then consulted with one another-"All of us shall release Sarasvati from her curse."
तेषां तु वचनादेव प्रकृतिस्था सरस्वती । प्रसन्नसलिला जज्ञे यथा पूर्वं तथैव हि । विमुक्ता च सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा विबभौ सा यथा पुरा ॥
दृष्ट्वा तोयं सरस्वत्या मुनिभिस्तैस्तथा कृतम् । कृताञ्जलीस्ततो राजन्राक्षसाः क्षुधयार्दिताः । ऊचुस्तान्वै मुनीन्सर्वान्कृपायुक्तान्पुनः पुनः ॥
वयं हि क्षुधिताश्चैव धर्माद्धीनाश्च शाश्वतात् । न च नः कामकारोऽयं यद्वयं पापकारिणः ॥
युष्माकं चाप्रसादेन दुष्कृतेन च कर्मणा । पक्षोऽयं वर्धतेऽस्माकं यतः स्म ब्रह्मराक्षसाः ॥
एवं हि वैश्यशूद्राणां क्षत्रियाणां तथैव च । ये ब्राह्मणान्प्रद्विषन्ति ते भवन्तीह राक्षसाः ॥
आचार्यमृत्विजं चैव गुरुं वृद्धजनं तथा । प्राणिनो येऽवमन्यन्ते ते भवन्तीह राक्षसाः । योषितां चैव पापानां योनिदोषेण वर्धते ॥
तत्कुरुध्वमिहास्माकं कारुण्यं द्विजसत्तमाः । शक्ता भवन्तः सर्वेषां लोकानामपि तारणे ॥
English Translation
O best of Brahmanas, arrange then for our relief. You are capable of saving all the worlds!'
तेषां ते मुनयः श्रुत्वा तुष्टुवुस्तां महानदीम् । मोक्षार्थं रक्षसां तेषामूचुः प्रयतमानसाः ॥
English Translation
Hearing these words of theirs, those ascetics lauded the great river. For the rescue of those Rakshasas, with contracted minds those ascetics said-"The food over which one will sneeze, that in which there are worms and insects, that which may be mixed with refuges of food, that which is mixed with hair, that which is trampled. That which is mixed with tears shall make up the food of these Rakshasas!'
क्षुतकीटावपन्नं च यच्चोच्छिष्टाशितं भवेत् । केशावपन्नमाधूतमारुग्णमपि यद्भवेत् । श्वभिः संस्पृष्टमन्नं च भागोऽसौ रक्षसामिह ॥
तस्माज्ज्ञात्वा सदा विद्वानेतान्यन्नानि वर्जयेत् । राक्षसान्नमसौ भुङ्क्ते यो भुङ्क्ते ह्यन्नमीदृशम् ॥
English Translation
Knowing all this, the learned man shall carefully avoid these kinds of food. He that shall take such food shall be considered as partaking of the food of Rakshasas.'
शोधयित्वा ततस्तीर्थमृषयस्ते तपोधनाः । मोक्षार्थं राक्षसानां च नदीं तां प्रत्यचोदयन् ॥
English Translation
Having thus purified the tirtha, those ascetics thus prayed to that river for the relief of those Rakshasas.
महर्षीणां मतं ज्ञात्वा ततः सा सरितां वरा । अरुणामानयामास स्वां तनुं पुरुषर्षभ ॥
English Translation
Understanding the wishes of those great Rishis, that best of rivers caused her body, O foremost of men, to assume a new forn called Arjuna.
तस्यां ते राक्षसाः स्नात्वा तनूस्त्यक्त्वा दिवं गताः । अरुणायां महाराज ब्रह्महत्यापहा हि सा ॥
English Translation
Bathing in that new river the Rakshasas renounced their bodies and went to heaven.
एतमर्थमभिज्ञाय देवराजः शतक्रतुः । तस्मिंस्तीर्थवरे स्नात्वा विमुक्तः पाप्मना किल ॥
English Translation
Ascertaining all this, the king of the celestials, viz., Indra, of a hundred sacrifices, bathed in that best of tirthas and was freed of a grievous sin."
किमर्थं भगवाञ्शक्रो ब्रह्महत्यामवाप्तवान् । कथमस्मिंश्च तीर्थे वै आप्लुत्याकल्मषोऽभवत् ॥
English Translation
Janamejaya said "Why was Indra affected with the sin of Brahmanicide! How also did he become freed by bathing in that tirtha?''
शृणुष्वैतदुपाख्यानं यथावृत्तं जनेश्वर । यथा बिभेद समयं नमुचेर्वासवः पुरा ॥
English Translation
Vaishampayana said "Listen to that history, O king, listen to those events as they took place. Hear how Indra formerly broke his treaty with Namuchi.
नमुचिर्वासवाद्भीतः सूर्यरश्मिं समाविशत् । तेनेन्द्रः सख्यमकरोत्समयं चेदमब्रवीत् ॥
English Translation
The Asura Namuchi, from fear of Vasava, had entered into a ray of the Sun. Indra then made friends with Namuchi and made a contract with him, saying-"O king, of Asuras, I shall not kill you, O friend, with anything that is wet or dry. I shall not kill you in the night or in the day! Forsooth I swear this to you.'
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