Adi Parwa 9

Mahabharata 1.9

 

Adi Parwa 9

 

  1 [सूत]
     तेषु तत्रॊपविष्टेषु बराह्मणेषु समन्ततः
     रुरुश चुक्रॊश गहनं वनं गत्वा सुदुःखितः
 2 शॊकेनाभिहतः सॊ ऽथ विलपन करुणं बहु
     अब्रवीद वचनं शॊचन परियां चिन्त्य परमद्वराम
 3 शेते सा भुवि तन्व अङ्गी मम शॊकविवर्धिनी
     बान्धवानां च सर्वेषां किं नु दुःखम अतः परम
 4 यदि दत्तं तपस तप्तं गुरवॊ वा मया यदि
     सम्यग आराधितास तेन संजीवतु मम परिया
 5 यथा जन्मप्रभृति वै यतात्माहं धृतव्रतः
     परमद्वरा तथाद्यैव समुत्तिष्ठतु भामिनी
 6 [देवदूत]
     अभिधत्से ह यद वाचा रुरॊ दुःखेन तन मृषा
     न तु मर्त्यस्य धर्मात्मन्न आयुर अस्ति गतायुषः
 7 गतायुर एषा कृपणा गन्धर्वाप्सरसॊः सुता
     तस्माच छॊके मनस तात मा कृथास तवं कथं चन
 8 उपायश चात्र विहितः पूर्वं देवैर महात्मभिः
     तं यदीच्छसि कर्तुं तवं पराप्स्यसीमां परमद्वराम
 9 [र]
     क उपायः कृतॊ देवैर बरूहि तत्त्वेन खेचर
     करिष्ये तं तथा शरुत्वा तरातुम अर्हति मां भवान
 10 [द]
    आयुषॊ ऽरधं परयच्छस्व कन्यायै भृगुनन्दन
    एवम उत्थास्यति रुरॊ तव भार्या परमद्वरा
 11 [र]
    आयुषॊ ऽरधं परयच्छामि कन्यायै खेचरॊत्तम
    शृङ्गाररूपाभरणा उत्तिष्ठतु मम परिया
 12 [स]
    ततॊ गन्धर्वराजश च देवदूतश च सत्तमौ
    धर्मराजम उपेत्येदं वचनं परत्यभाषताम
 13 धर्मराजायुषॊ ऽरधेन रुरॊर भार्या परमद्वरा
    समुत्तिष्ठतु कल्याणी मृतैव यदि मन्यसे
 14 [ध]
    परमद्वरा रुरॊर भार्या देवदूत यदीच्छसि
    उत्तिष्ठत्व आयुषॊ ऽरधेन रुरॊर एव समन्विता
 15 [स]
    एवम उक्ते ततः कन्या सॊदतिष्ठत परमद्वरा
    रुरॊस तस्यायुषॊ ऽरधेन सुप्तेव वरवर्णिनी
 16 एतद दृष्टं भविष्ये हि रुरॊर उत्तमतेजसः
    आयुषॊ ऽतिप्रवृद्धस्य भार्यार्थे ऽरधं हरसत्व इति
 17 तत इष्टे ऽहनि तयॊः पितरौ चक्रतुर मुदा
    विवाहं तौ च रेमाते परस्परहितैषिणौ
 18 स लब्ध्वा दुर्लभां भार्यां पद्मकिञ्जल्क सप्रभाम
    वरतं चक्रे विनाशाय जिह्मगानां धृतव्रतः
 19 स दृष्ट्वा जिह्मगान सर्वांस तीव्रकॊपसमन्वितः
    अभिहन्ति यथासन्नं गृह्य परहरणं सदा
 20 स कदा चिद वनं विप्रॊ रुरुर अभ्यागमन महत
    शयानं तत्र चापश्यड डुण्डुभं वयसान्वितम
 21 तत उद्यम्य दण्डं स कालदण्डॊपमं तदा
    अभ्यघ्नद रुषितॊ विप्रस तम उवाचाथ डुण्डुभः
 22 नापराध्यामि ते किं चिद अहम अद्य तपॊधन
    संरम्भात तत किमर्थं माम अभिहंसि रुषान्वितः

 

 1 [sūta]
     teṣu tatropaviṣṭeṣu brāhmaṇeṣu samantataḥ
     ruruś cukrośa gahanaṃ vanaṃ gatvā suduḥkhitaḥ
 2 śokenābhihataḥ so 'tha vilapan karuṇaṃ bahu
     abravīd vacanaṃ śocan priyāṃ cintya pramadvarām
 3 śete sā bhuvi tanv aṅgī mama śokavivardhinī
     bāndhavānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ kiṃ nu duḥkham ataḥ param
 4 yadi dattaṃ tapas taptaṃ guravo vā mayā yadi
     samyag ārādhitās tena saṃjīvatu mama priyā
 5 yathā janmaprabhṛti vai yatātmāhaṃ dhṛtavrataḥ
     pramadvarā tathādyaiva samuttiṣṭhatu bhāminī
 6 [devadūta]
     abhidhatse ha yad vācā ruro duḥkhena tan mṛṣā
     na tu martyasya dharmātmann āyur asti gatāyuṣaḥ
 7 gatāyur eṣā kṛpaṇā gandharvāpsarasoḥ sutā
     tasmāc choke manas tāta mā kṛthās tvaṃ kathaṃ cana
 8 upāyaś cātra vihitaḥ pūrvaṃ devair mahātmabhiḥ
     taṃ yadīcchasi kartuṃ tvaṃ prāpsyasīmāṃ pramadvarām
 9 [r]
     ka upāyaḥ kṛto devair brūhi tattvena khecara
     kariṣye taṃ tathā śrutvā trātum arhati māṃ bhavān
 10 [d]
    āyuṣo 'rdhaṃ prayacchasva kanyāyai bhṛgunandana
    evam utthāsyati ruro tava bhāryā pramadvarā
 11 [r]
    āyuṣo 'rdhaṃ prayacchāmi kanyāyai khecarottama
    śṛṅgārarūpābharaṇā uttiṣṭhatu mama priyā
 12 [s]
    tato gandharvarājaś ca devadūtaś ca sattamau
    dharmarājam upetyedaṃ vacanaṃ pratyabhāṣatām
 13 dharmarājāyuṣo 'rdhena ruror bhāryā pramadvarā
    samuttiṣṭhatu kalyāṇī mṛtaiva yadi manyase
 14 [dh]
    pramadvarā ruror bhāryā devadūta yadīcchasi
    uttiṣṭhatv āyuṣo 'rdhena ruror eva samanvitā
 15 [s]
    evam ukte tataḥ kanyā sodatiṣṭhat pramadvarā
    ruros tasyāyuṣo 'rdhena supteva varavarṇinī
 16 etad dṛṣṭaṃ bhaviṣye hi ruror uttamatejasaḥ
    āyuṣo 'tipravṛddhasya bhāryārthe 'rdhaṃ hrasatv iti
 17 tata iṣṭe 'hani tayoḥ pitarau cakratur mudā
    vivāhaṃ tau ca remāte parasparahitaiṣiṇau
 18 sa labdhvā durlabhāṃ bhāryāṃ padmakiñjalka saprabhām
    vrataṃ cakre vināśāya jihmagānāṃ dhṛtavrataḥ
 19 sa dṛṣṭvā jihmagān sarvāṃs tīvrakopasamanvitaḥ
    abhihanti yathāsannaṃ gṛhya praharaṇaṃ sadā
 20 sa kadā cid vanaṃ vipro rurur abhyāgaman mahat
    śayānaṃ tatra cāpaśyaḍ ḍuṇḍubhaṃ vayasānvitam
 21 tata udyamya daṇḍaṃ sa kāladaṇḍopamaṃ tadā
    abhyaghnad ruṣito vipras tam uvācātha ḍuṇḍubhaḥ
 22 nāparādhyāmi te kiṃ cid aham adya tapodhana
    saṃrambhāt tat kimarthaṃ mām abhihaṃsi ruṣānvitaḥ

 

"Sauti said, 'While those illustrious Brahmanas were sitting around the dead body of Pramadvara, Ruru, sorely afflicted, retired into a deep wood and wept aloud. And overwhelmed with grief he indulged in much piteous lamentation. And, remembering his beloved Pramadvara, he gave vent to his sorrow in the following words, 'Alas! The delicate fair one that increaseth my affliction lieth upon the bare ground. What can be more deplorable to us, her friends? If I have been charitable, if I have performed acts of penance, if I have ever revered my superiors, let the merit of these arts restore to life my beloved one! If from my birth I have been controlling my passions, adhered to my vows, let the fair Pramadvara rise from the ground.

 

"And while Ruru was indulging in these lamentations for the loss of his bride, a messenger from heaven came to him in the forest and addressed him thus, 'The words thou utterest, O Ruru, in thy affliction are certainly ineffectual. For, O pious man, one belonging to this world whose days have run out can never come back to life. This poor child of a Gandharva and Apsara has had her days run out! Therefore, O child, thou shouldst not consign thy heart to sorrow. The great gods, however, have provided beforehand a means of her restoration to life. And if thou compliest with it, thou mayest receive back thy Pramadvara.'

 

"And Ruru replied, O messenger of heaven! What is that which the gods have ordained. Tell me in full so that (on hearing) I may comply with it. It behoveth thee to deliver me from grief!' And the celestial messenger said unto Ruru, 'Resign half of thy own life to thy bride, and then, O Ruru of the race of Bhrigu, thy Pramadvara shall rise from the ground.' 'O best of celestial messengers, I most willingly offer a moiety of my own life in favour of my bride. Then let my beloved one rise up once more in her dress and lovable form.'

 

"Sauti said, 'Then the king of Gandharvas (the father of Pramadvara) and the celestial messenger, both of excellent qualities, went to the god Dharma (the Judge of the dead) and addressed him, saying, 'If it be thy will, O Dharmaraja, let the amiable Pramadvara, the betrothed wife of Ruru, now lying dead, rise up with a moiety of Ruru's life.' And Dharmaraja answered, 'O messenger of the gods, if it be thy wish, let Pramadvara, the betrothed wife of Ruru, rise up endued with a moiety of Ruru's life.'

 

"Sauti continued, 'And when Dharmaraja had said so, that maiden of superior complexion, Pramadvara, endued with a moiety of Ruru's life, rose as from her slumber. This bestowal by Ruru of a moiety of his own span of life to resuscitate his bride afterwards led, as it would be seen, to a curtailment of Ruru's life.

 

"And on an auspicious day their fathers gladly married them with due rites. And the couple passed their days, devoted to each other. And Ruru having obtained such a wife, as is hard to be found, beautiful and bright as the filaments of the lotus, made a vow for the destruction of the serpent-race. And whenever he saw a serpent he became filled with great wrath and always killed it with a weapon.

 

"One day, O Brahmana, Ruru entered an extensive forest. And there he saw an old serpent of the Dundubha species lying stretched on the ground. And Ruru thereupon lifted up in anger his staff, even like to the staff of Death, for the purpose of killing it. Then the Dundubha, addressing Ruru, said, 'I have done thee no harm, O Brahmana! Then wherefore wilt thou slay me in anger?