Asramawasika Parwa 6

Mahabharata 15.6

 

Asramawasika Parwa 6

 

  1 [य]
     न मां परीणयते राज्यं तवय्य एवं दुःखिते नृप
     धिन माम अस्तु सुदुर्बुद्धिं राज्यसक्तं परमादिनम
 2 यॊ ऽहं भवन्तं दुःखार्तम उपवासकृशं नृप
     यताहारं कषितिशयं नाविन्दं भरातृभिः सह
 3 अहॊ ऽसमि वञ्चितॊ मूढॊ भवता गूढबुद्धिना
     विश्वासयित्वा पूर्वं मां यद इदं दुःखम अश्नुथाः
 4 किं मे राज्येन भॊगैर वा किं यज्ञैः किं सुखेन वा
     यस्य मे तवं महीपाल दुःखान्य एतान्य अवाप्तवान
 5 पीडितं चापि जानामि राज्यम आत्मानम एव च
     अनेन वचसा तुभ्यं दुःखितस्य जनेश्वर
 6 भवान पिता भवान माता भवान नः परमॊ गुरुः
     भवता विप्रहीणा हि कव नु तिष्ठामहे वयम
 7 औरसॊ भवतः पुत्रॊ युयुत्सुर नृपसत्तम
     अस्तु राजा महाराज यं चान्यं मन्यते भवान
 8 अहं वनं गमिष्यामि भवान राज्यं परशास्त्व इदम
     न माम अयशसा दग्धं भूयस तवं दग्धुम अर्हसि
 9 नाहं राजा भवान राजा भवता परवान अहम
     कथं गुरुं तवां धर्मज्ञम अनुज्ञातुम इहॊत्सहे
 10 न मन्युर हृदि नः कश चिद दुर्यॊधनकृते ऽनघ
    भवितव्यं तथा तद धि वयं ते चैव मॊहिताः
 11 वयं हि पुत्रा भवतॊ यथा दुर्यॊधनादयः
    गान्धारी चैव कुन्ती च निर्वेशेषे मते मम
 12 स मां तवं यदि राजेन्द्र परित्यज्य गमिष्यसि
    पृष्ठतस तवानुयास्यामि सत्येनात्मानम आलभे
 13 इयं हि वसुसंपूर्णा मही सागरमेखला
    भवता विप्रहीणस्य न मे परीतिकरी भवेत
 14 भवदीयम इदं सर्वं शिरसा तवां परसादये
    तवदधीनाः सम राजेन्द्र वयेतु ते मानसॊ जवरः
 15 भवितव्यम अनुप्राप्तं मन्ये तवां तज जनाधिप
    दिष्ट्या शुश्रूषमाणस तवां मॊक्ष्यामि मनसॊ जवरम
 16 [धृ]
    तापस्ये मे मनस तात वर्तते कुरुनन्दन
    उचितं हि कुले ऽसमाकम अरण्यगमनं परभॊ
 17 चिरम अस्म्य उषितः पुत्र चिरं शुश्रूषितस तवया
    वृद्धं माम अभ्यनुज्ञातुं तवम अर्हसि जनाधिप
 18 [वै]
    इत्य उक्त्वा धर्मराजानं वेपमानः कृताञ्जलिम
    उवाच वचनं राजा धृतराष्ट्रॊ ऽमबिका सुतः
 19 संजयं च महामात्रं कृपं चापि महारथम
    अनुनेतुम इहेच्छामि भवद्भिः पृथिवीपतिम
 20 गलायते मे मनॊ हीदं मुखं च परिशुष्यति
    वयसा च परकृष्टेन वाग वयायामेन चैव हि
 21 इत्य उक्त्वा स तु धर्मात्मा वृद्धॊ राजा कुरूद्वहः
    गान्धारीं शिश्रिये धीमान सहसैव गतासुवत
 22 तं तु दृष्ट्वा तथासीनं निश्चेष्टं कुरु पार्थिवम
    आर्तिं राजा ययौ तूर्णं कौन्तेयः परवीरहा
 23 [य]
    यस्य नागसहस्रेण दश संख्येन वै बलम
    सॊ ऽयं नारीम उपाश्रित्य शेते राजा गतासुवत
 24 आयसी परतिमा येन भीमसेनस्य वै पुरा
    चूर्णीकृता बलवता सबलार्थी शरितः सत्रियम
 25 धिग अस्तु माम अधर्मज्ञं धिग बुद्धिं धिक च मे शरुतम
    यत्कृते पृथिवीपालः शेते ऽयम अतथॊचितः
 26 अहम अप्य उपवत्स्यामि यथैवायं गुरुर मम
    यदि राजा न भुङ्क्ते ऽयं गान्धारी च यशस्विनी
 27 [वै]
    ततॊ ऽसय पाणिना राजा जलशीतेन पाण्डवः
    उरॊ मुखं च शनकैः पर्यमार्जत धर्मवित
 28 तेन रत्नौषधिमता पुण्येनच सुगन्धिना
    पाणिस्पर्शेन राज्ञस तु राजा संज्ञाम अवाप ह

 

 1 [y]
     na māṃ prīṇayate rājyaṃ tvayy evaṃ duḥkhite nṛpa
     dhin mām astu sudurbuddhiṃ rājyasaktaṃ pramādinam
 2 yo 'haṃ bhavantaṃ duḥkhārtam upavāsakṛśaṃ nṛpa
     yatāhāraṃ kṣitiśayaṃ nāvindaṃ bhrātṛbhiḥ saha
 3 aho 'smi vañcito mūḍho bhavatā gūḍhabuddhinā
     viśvāsayitvā pūrvaṃ māṃ yad idaṃ duḥkham aśnuthāḥ
 4 kiṃ me rājyena bhogair vā kiṃ yajñaiḥ kiṃ sukhena vā
     yasya me tvaṃ mahīpāla duḥkhāny etāny avāptavān
 5 pīḍitaṃ cāpi jānāmi rājyam ātmānam eva ca
     anena vacasā tubhyaṃ duḥkhitasya janeśvara
 6 bhavān pitā bhavān mātā bhavān naḥ paramo guruḥ
     bhavatā viprahīṇā hi kva nu tiṣṭhāmahe vayam
 7 auraso bhavataḥ putro yuyutsur nṛpasattama
     astu rājā mahārāja yaṃ cānyaṃ manyate bhavān
 8 ahaṃ vanaṃ gamiṣyāmi bhavān rājyaṃ praśāstv idam
     na mām ayaśasā dagdhaṃ bhūyas tvaṃ dagdhum arhasi
 9 nāhaṃ rājā bhavān rājā bhavatā paravān aham
     kathaṃ guruṃ tvāṃ dharmajñam anujñātum ihotsahe
 10 na manyur hṛdi naḥ kaś cid duryodhanakṛte 'nagha
    bhavitavyaṃ tathā tad dhi vayaṃ te caiva mohitāḥ
 11 vayaṃ hi putrā bhavato yathā duryodhanādayaḥ
    gāndhārī caiva kuntī ca nirveśeṣe mate mama
 12 sa māṃ tvaṃ yadi rājendra parityajya gamiṣyasi
    pṛṣṭhatas tvānuyāsyāmi satyenātmānam ālabhe
 13 iyaṃ hi vasusaṃpūrṇā mahī sāgaramekhalā
    bhavatā viprahīṇasya na me prītikarī bhavet
 14 bhavadīyam idaṃ sarvaṃ śirasā tvāṃ prasādaye
    tvadadhīnāḥ sma rājendra vyetu te mānaso jvaraḥ
 15 bhavitavyam anuprāptaṃ manye tvāṃ taj janādhipa
    diṣṭyā śuśrūṣamāṇas tvāṃ mokṣyāmi manaso jvaram
 16 [dhṛ]
    tāpasye me manas tāta vartate kurunandana
    ucitaṃ hi kule 'smākam araṇyagamanaṃ prabho
 17 ciram asmy uṣitaḥ putra ciraṃ śuśrūṣitas tvayā
    vṛddhaṃ mām abhyanujñātuṃ tvam arhasi janādhipa
 18 [vai]
    ity uktvā dharmarājānaṃ vepamānaḥ kṛtāñjalim
    uvāca vacanaṃ rājā dhṛtarāṣṭro 'mbikā sutaḥ
 19 saṃjayaṃ ca mahāmātraṃ kṛpaṃ cāpi mahāratham
    anunetum ihecchāmi bhavadbhiḥ pṛthivīpatim
 20 glāyate me mano hīdaṃ mukhaṃ ca pariśuṣyati
    vayasā ca prakṛṣṭena vāg vyāyāmena caiva hi
 21 ity uktvā sa tu dharmātmā vṛddho rājā kurūdvahaḥ
    gāndhārīṃ śiśriye dhīmān sahasaiva gatāsuvat
 22 taṃ tu dṛṣṭvā tathāsīnaṃ niśceṣṭaṃ kuru pārthivam
    ārtiṃ rājā yayau tūrṇaṃ kaunteyaḥ paravīrahā
 23 [y]
    yasya nāgasahasreṇa daśa saṃkhyena vai balam
    so 'yaṃ nārīm upāśritya śete rājā gatāsuvat
 24 āyasī pratimā yena bhīmasenasya vai purā
    cūrṇīkṛtā balavatā sabalārthī śritaḥ striyam
 25 dhig astu mām adharmajñaṃ dhig buddhiṃ dhik ca me śrutam
    yatkṛte pṛthivīpālaḥ śete 'yam atathocitaḥ
 26 aham apy upavatsyāmi yathaivāyaṃ gurur mama
    yadi rājā na bhuṅkte 'yaṃ gāndhārī ca yaśasvinī
 27 [vai]
    tato 'sya pāṇinā rājā jalaśītena pāṇḍavaḥ
    uro mukhaṃ ca śanakaiḥ paryamārjata dharmavit
 28 tena ratnauṣadhimatā puṇyenaca sugandhinā
    pāṇisparśena rājñas tu rājā saṃjñām avāpa ha

 

Yudhishthira said, 'When thou, O king, art thus subject to grief, sovereignty does not please me at all. Fie on me that am of wicked understanding, devoted to the pleasures of rule, and utterly heedless of my true concerns. Alas, I, with all my brothers, was ignorant of thyself having so long been afflicted with grief, emaciated with fasts, abstaining from food, and lying on the bare ground. Alas, foolish that I am, I have been deceived by thee that hast deep intelligence, inasmuch as, having inspired me with confidence at first thou hast latterly undergone such grief. What need have I of kingdom or of articles of enjoyment, what need of sacrifices or of happiness, when thou, O king, hast undergone go much affliction? I regard my kingdom as a disease, and myself also as afflicted. Plunged though I am in sorrow, what, however, is the use of these words that I am addressing thee? Thou art our father, thou art our mother; thou art our foremost of superiors. Deprived of thy presence, how shall we live? O best of king, let Yuyutsu, the son of thy loins, be made king, or, indeed, anybody else whom thou mayst wish. I shall go into the woods. Do thou rule the kingdom. It behoveth thee not to burn me that am already burned by infamy. I am not the king. Thou art the king. I am dependent on thy will. How can I dare grant permission to thee that art my preceptor? O sinless one, I harbour no resentment in my heart on account of the wrongs done to us by Suyodhana. It was ordained that it should be so. Both ourselves and others were stupefied (by fate). We are thy children as Duryodhana and others were. My conviction is that Gandhari is as much my mother as Kunti. If thou, O king of kings, goest to the woods leaving me, I shall the, follow thee. I swear by my soul. This Earth, with her belt of seas, go full of wealth, will not be a source of joy to me when I am deprived of thy presence. All this belongs to thee. I gratify thee, bending my head. We are all dependent on thee, O king of kings. Let the fever of thy heart be dispelled. I think, O lord of Earth, that all this that has come upon thee is due to destiny. By good luck, I had thought, that waiting upon thee and executing thy commands obediently, I would rescue thee from the fever of thy heart.'

 

"Dhritarashtra said, 'O delighter of the Kurus, my mind is fixed, O son, on penances. O puissant one, it is meet for our race that I should retire into the woods. I have lived long under thy protection, O son, I have for many years been served by thee with reverence. I am now old. It behoveth thee, O king, to grant me permission (to take up my abode in the woods).'

 

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said these words unto king Yudhishthira, the just, king Dhritarashtra, the son of Amvika, trembling the while and with hands joined together, further said unto the high-souled Sanjaya and the great car-warrior Kripa, these words, 'I wish to solicit the king through you. My mind has become cheerless, my mouth has become dry, through the weakness of age and the exertion of speaking.' Having said so, that perpetuator of Kuru's race, viz., the, righteous-souled old king, blessed with prosperity, leaned on Gandhari and suddenly looked like one deprived of life. Beholding him thus seated like one deprived of consciousness, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the royal son of Kunti, became penetrated by a poignant grief.

 

"Yudhishthira said, 'Alas, he whose strength was equal to that of a hundred thousand elephants, alas, that king sitteth today, leaning on a woman. Alas! he by whom the iron image of Bhima on a former occasion wag reduced to fragments, leaneth today on a weak woman. Fie on me that am exceedingly unrighteous! Fie on my understanding! Fie on my knowledge of the scripture! Fie on me for whom this lord of Earth lieth today in a manner that is not becoming of him! I also shall fast even as my preceptor. Verily, I shall fast if this king and Gandhari of great fame abstain from food.'

 

"Vaisampayana continued, 'The Pandava king, conversant with every duty, using his own hand, then softly rubbed with cold water the breast and the face of the old monarch. At the touch of the king's hand which was auspicious and fragrant, and on which were jewels and medicinal herbs, Dhritarashtra regained his senses.