Asramawasika Parwa 1

Mahabharata 15.1

 

Asramawasika Parwa 1

 

  1 [ज]
     पराप्य राज्यं महाभागाः पाण्डवा मे पितामहाः
     कथम आसन महाराजे धृतराष्ट्रे महात्मनि
 2 स हि राजा हतामात्यॊ हतपुत्रॊ नराश्रयः
     कथम आसीद धतैश्वर्यॊ गान्धारी च यशस्विनी
 3 कियन्तं चैव कालं ते पितरॊ मम पूर्वकाः
     सथिता राज्ये महात्मानस तन मे वयाख्यातुम अर्हसि
 4 [वै]
     पराप्य राज्यं महात्मानः पाण्डवा हतशत्रवः
     धृतराष्ट्रं पुरस्कृत्य पृथिवीं पर्यपालयन
 5 धृतराष्ट्रम उपातिष्ठद विदुरः संजयस तथा
     युयुत्सुश चापि मेधावी वैश्यापुत्रः स कौरवः
 6 पाण्डवः सर्वकार्याणि संपृच्छन्ति सम तं नृपम
     चक्रुस तेनाभ्यनुज्ञाता वर्षाणि दश पञ्च च
 7 सदा हि गत्वा ते वीराः पर्युपासन्त तं नृपम
     पादाभिवन्दनं कृत्वा धर्मराज मते सथिताः
     ते मूर्ध्नि समुपाघ्राताः सर्वकार्याणि चक्रिरे
 8 कुन्तिभॊजसुता चैव गन्धारीम अन्ववर्तत
     दरौपदी च सुभद्रा च याश चान्याः पाण्डव सत्रियः
     समां वृत्तिम अवर्तन्त तयॊः शवश्रॊर यथाविधि
 9 शयनानि महार्हाणि वासांस्य आभरणानि च
     राजार्हाणि च सर्वाणि भक्ष्यभॊज्यान्य अनेकशः
     युधिष्ठिरॊ महाराज धृतराष्ट्रे ऽभयुपाहरत
 10 तथैव कुन्ती गान्धार्यां गुरुवृत्तिम अवर्तत
    विदुरः संजयश चैव युयुत्सुश चैव कौरवः
    उपासते सम तं वृद्धं हतपुत्रं जनाधिपम
 11 सयालॊ दरुणस्य यश चैकॊ दयितॊ बराह्मणॊ महान
    स च तस्मिन महेष्वासः कृपः समभवत तदा
 12 वयासस्य भगवान नित्यं वासं चक्रे नृपेण ह
    कथाः कुर्वन पुराणर्षिर देवर्षिनृप रक्षसाम
 13 धर्मयुक्तानि कार्याणि वयवहारान्वितानि च
    धृतराष्ट्राभ्यनुज्ञातॊ विदुरस तान्य अकारयत
 14 सामन्तेभ्यः परियाण्य अस्य कार्याणि सुगुरूण्य अपि
    पराप्यन्ते ऽरथैः सुलघुभिः परभावाद विदुरस्य वै
 15 अकरॊद बन्धमॊक्षांश च वध्यानां मॊक्षणं तथा
    न च धर्मात्मजॊ राजा कदा चित किं चिद अब्रवीत
 16 विहारयात्रासु पुनः कुरुराजॊ युधिष्ठिरः
    सर्वान कामान महातेजाः परददाव अम्बिका सुते
 17 आरालिकाः सूपकारा रागखाण्डविकास तथा
    उपातिष्ठन्त राजानं धृतराष्ट्रं यथा पुरा
 18 वासांसि च महार्हाणि माल्यानि विविधानि च
    उपाजह्रुर यथान्यायं धृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवाः
 19 मैरेयं मधु मांसानि पानकानि लघूनि च
    चित्रान भक्ष्यविकारांश च चक्रुर अस्य यथा पुरा
 20 ये चापि पृथिवीपालाः समाजग्मुः समन्ततः
    उपातिष्ठन्त ते सर्वे कौरवेन्द्रं यथा पुरा
 21 कुन्ती च दरौपदी चैव सात्वती चैव भामिनी
    उलूपी नागकन्या च देवी चित्र अङ्गदा तथा
 22 धृष्टकेतॊश च भगिनी जरा सन्धस्य चात्मजा
    किंकराः समॊपतिष्ठन्ति सर्वाः सुबलजां तथा
 23 यथा पुत्र वियुक्तॊ ऽयं न किं चिद दुःखम आप्नुयात
    इति राजन वशाद भरातॄन नित्यम एव युधिष्ठिरः
 24 एवं ते धर्मराजस्य शरुत्वा वचनम अर्थवत
    सविशेषम अवर्तन्त भीमम एकं विना तदा
 25 न हि तत तस्य वीरस्य हृदयाद अपसर्पति
    धृतराष्ट्रस्य दुर्बुद्धेर यद्वृत्तं दयूतकारितम

 

 1 [j]
     prāpya rājyaṃ mahābhāgāḥ pāṇḍavā me pitāmahāḥ
     katham āsan mahārāje dhṛtarāṣṭre mahātmani
 2 sa hi rājā hatāmātyo hataputro narāśrayaḥ
     katham āsīd dhataiśvaryo gāndhārī ca yaśasvinī
 3 kiyantaṃ caiva kālaṃ te pitaro mama pūrvakāḥ
     sthitā rājye mahātmānas tan me vyākhyātum arhasi
 4 [vai]
     prāpya rājyaṃ mahātmānaḥ pāṇḍavā hataśatravaḥ
     dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ puraskṛtya pṛthivīṃ paryapālayan
 5 dhṛtarāṣṭram upātiṣṭhad viduraḥ saṃjayas tathā
     yuyutsuś cāpi medhāvī vaiśyāputraḥ sa kauravaḥ
 6 pāṇḍavaḥ sarvakāryāṇi saṃpṛcchanti sma taṃ nṛpam
     cakrus tenābhyanujñātā varṣāṇi daśa pañca ca
 7 sadā hi gatvā te vīrāḥ paryupāsanta taṃ nṛpam
     pādābhivandanaṃ kṛtvā dharmarāja mate sthitāḥ
     te mūrdhni samupāghrātāḥ sarvakāryāṇi cakrire
 8 kuntibhojasutā caiva gandhārīm anvavartata
     draupadī ca subhadrā ca yāś cānyāḥ pāṇḍava striyaḥ
     samāṃ vṛttim avartanta tayoḥ śvaśror yathāvidhi
 9 śayanāni mahārhāṇi vāsāṃsy ābharaṇāni ca
     rājārhāṇi ca sarvāṇi bhakṣyabhojyāny anekaśaḥ
     yudhiṣṭhiro mahārāja dhṛtarāṣṭre 'bhyupāharat
 10 tathaiva kuntī gāndhāryāṃ guruvṛttim avartata
    viduraḥ saṃjayaś caiva yuyutsuś caiva kauravaḥ
    upāsate sma taṃ vṛddhaṃ hataputraṃ janādhipam
 11 syālo druṇasya yaś caiko dayito brāhmaṇo mahān
    sa ca tasmin maheṣvāsaḥ kṛpaḥ samabhavat tadā
 12 vyāsasya bhagavān nityaṃ vāsaṃ cakre nṛpeṇa ha
    kathāḥ kurvan purāṇarṣir devarṣinṛpa rakṣasām
 13 dharmayuktāni kāryāṇi vyavahārānvitāni ca
    dhṛtarāṣṭrābhyanujñāto viduras tāny akārayat
 14 sāmantebhyaḥ priyāṇy asya kāryāṇi sugurūṇy api
    prāpyante 'rthaiḥ sulaghubhiḥ prabhāvād vidurasya vai
 15 akarod bandhamokṣāṃś ca vadhyānāṃ mokṣaṇaṃ tathā
    na ca dharmātmajo rājā kadā cit kiṃ cid abravīt
 16 vihārayātrāsu punaḥ kururājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
    sarvān kāmān mahātejāḥ pradadāv ambikā sute
 17 ārālikāḥ sūpakārā rāgakhāṇḍavikās tathā
    upātiṣṭhanta rājānaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ yathā purā
 18 vāsāṃsi ca mahārhāṇi mālyāni vividhāni ca
    upājahrur yathānyāyaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya pāṇḍavāḥ
 19 maireyaṃ madhu māṃsāni pānakāni laghūni ca
    citrān bhakṣyavikārāṃś ca cakrur asya yathā purā
 20 ye cāpi pṛthivīpālāḥ samājagmuḥ samantataḥ
    upātiṣṭhanta te sarve kauravendraṃ yathā purā
 21 kuntī ca draupadī caiva sātvatī caiva bhāminī
    ulūpī nāgakanyā ca devī citr aṅgadā tathā
 22 dhṛṣṭaketoś ca bhaginī jarā sandhasya cātmajā
    kiṃkarāḥ smopatiṣṭhanti sarvāḥ subalajāṃ tathā
 23 yathā putra viyukto 'yaṃ na kiṃ cid duḥkham āpnuyāt
    iti rājan vaśād bhrātṝn nityam eva yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
 24 evaṃ te dharmarājasya śrutvā vacanam arthavat
    saviśeṣam avartanta bhīmam ekaṃ vinā tadā
 25 na hi tat tasya vīrasya hṛdayād apasarpati
    dhṛtarāṣṭrasya durbuddher yadvṛttaṃ dyūtakāritam

 

"Janamejaya said 'After having acquired their kingdom, how did my grandsires, the high-souled Pandavas, conduct themselves towards the high-souled king Dhritarashtra? How, indeed, did that king who had all his counsellors and sons slain, who was without a refuge, and whose affluence had disappeared, behave? How also did Gandhari of great fame conduct herself? For how many years did my high-souled grandsires rule the kingdom? It behoveth thee to tell me all this.'

 

"Vaisampayana said, 'Having got back their kingdom, the high-souled Pandavas, their foes all slain, ruled the Earth, placing Dhritarashtra at their head. Vidura, and Sanjaya and Yuyutsu of great intelligence, who was Dhritarashtra's son by his Vaisya wife, used to wait upon Dhritarashtra. The Pandavas used to take the opinion of that king in all matters. Indeed, for ten and five years, they did all things under the advice of the old king. Those heroes used very often to go to that monarch and sit beside him, after having worshipped his feet, agreeably to the wishes of king Yudhishthira the just. They did all things under the command of Dhritarashtra who smelt their heads in affection. The daughter of king Kuntibhoja also obeyed Gandhari in everything. Draupadi and Subhadra and the other ladies of the Pandavas behaved towards the old king and the queen as if they were their own father-in-law and mother-in-law. Costly beds and robes and ornaments, and food and drink and other enjoyable articles, in profusion and of such superior kinds as were worthy of royal use, were presented by king Yudhishthira unto Dhritarashtra. Similarly Kunti behaved towards Gandhari as towards a senior. Vidura, and Sanjaya, and Yuyutsu, O thou of Karu's race, used to always wait upon the old king whose sons had all been slain. The dear brother-in-law of Drona, viz., the very Superior Brahmana, Kripa, that mighty bowman, also attended upon the king. The holy Vyasa also used to often meet with the old monarch and recite to him the histories of old Rishis and celestial ascetics and Pitris and Rakshasas. Vidura, under the orders of Dhritarashtra, superintended the discharge of all acts of religious merit and all that related to the administration of the law. Through the excellent policy of Vidura, by the expenditure of even a small wealth, the Pandavas obtained numerous agreeable services from their feudatories and followers. King Dhritarashtra liberated prisoners and pardoned those that were condemned to death. King Yudhishthira the just never said anything to this. On those occasions when the son of Amvika went on pleasure excursions, the Kuru king Yudhishthira of great energy used to give him every article of enjoyment. Aralikas, and juice-makers, and makers of Ragakhandavas waited on king Dhritarashtra as before. 1 Pandu's son, collected costly robes and garlands of diverse kinds and duly offered them to Dhritarashtra. Maireya wines, fish of various kinds, and sherbets and honey, and many delightful kinds of food prepared by modifications (of diverse articles), were caused to be made for the old king as in his days of prosperity. Those kings of Earth who came there one after another, all used to wait upon the old Kuru monarch as before. Kunti, and Draupadi, and she of the Sattwata race, possessed of great fame, and Ulupi, the daughter of the snake chief, and queen Chitrangada, and the sister of Dhrishtaketu, and the daughter of Jarasandha,--these and many other ladies, O chief of men, used to wait upon the daughter of Suvala like maids of all work. That Dhritarashtra, who was deprived of all his children, might not feel unhappy in any matter, was what Yudhishthira often said unto his brothers to see. They also, on their part, listening to these commands of grave import from king Yudhishthira, showed particular obedience to the old king. There was one exception, however. It embraced Bhimasena. All that had followed from that match at dice which had been brought about by the wicked understanding of Dhritarashtra, did not disappear from the heart of that hero. (He remembered those incidents still).