Asramawasika Parwa 8

Mahabharata 15.8

 

Asramawasika Parwa 8

 

   1 [वयास]
      युधिष्ठिर महाबाहॊ यद आह कुरुनन्दनः
      धृतराष्ट्रॊ महात्मा तवां तत कुरुष्वाव्विचारयन
  2 अयं हि वृद्धॊ नृपतिर हतपुत्रॊ विशेषतः
      नेदं कृच्छ्रं चिरतरं सहेद इति मतिर मम
  3 गान्धारी च महाभागा पराज्ञा करुणवेदिनी
      पुत्रशॊकं महाराज धैर्येणॊद्वहते भृशम
  4 अहाम अप्य एतद एव तवां बरवीमि कुरु मे वचः
      अजुज्ञां लभतां राजा मा वृथेह मरिष्यति
  5 राजर्षीणां पुराणानाम अनुयातु गतिं नृपः
      राजर्षीणां हि सर्वेषाम अन्ते वनम उपाश्रयः
  6 [वै]
      इत्य उक्तः स तदा राजा वयासेनाद्भुत कर्मणा
      परत्युवाच महातेजा धर्मराजॊ युधिष्ठिरः
  7 भगवान एव नॊ मान्यॊ भगवान एव नॊ गुरुः
      भगवान अस्य राज्यस्य कुलस्य च परायणम
  8 अहं तु पुत्रॊ भगवान पिता राजा गुरुश च मे
      निदेशवर्ती च पितुः पुत्रॊ भवति धर्मतः
  9 इत्य उक्तः स तु तं पराह वयासॊ धर्मभृतां वरः
      युधिष्ठिरं महातेजाः पुनर एव विशां पते
  10 एवम एतन महाबाहॊ यथा वदसि भारत
     राजायं वृद्धतां पराप्तः परमाणे परमे सथितः
 11 सॊ ऽयं मयाभ्यनुज्ञातस तवया च पृथिवीपते
     करॊतु सवम अभिप्राय मास्य विघ्नकरॊ भव
 12 एष एव परॊ धर्मॊ राजर्षीणां युधिष्ठिर
     समरे वा भवेन मृत्युर वने वा विधिपूर्वकम
 13 पित्रा तु तव राजेन्द्र पाण्डुना पृथिवीक्षिता
     शिष्यभूतेन राजायं गुरुवत पर्युपासितः
 14 करतुभिर दक्षिणावद्भिर अन्नपर्वत शॊभितैः
     महद्भिर इष्टं भॊगश च भुक्ताश पुत्रश च पालिताः
 15 पुत्र संस्थं च विपुलं राज्यं विप्रॊषिते तवयि
     तरयॊदश समा भुक्तं दत्तं च विविधं वसु
 16 तवया चायं नरव्याघ्र गुरुशुश्रूषया नृपः
     आराधितः सभृत्येन गान्धारी च यशस्विनी
 17 अनुजानीहि पितरं समयॊ ऽसय तपॊ विधौ
     न मन्युर विद्यते चास्य सुसूक्ष्मॊ ऽपि युधिष्ठिर
 18 एतावद उक्त्वा वचनम अनुज्ञाप्य च पार्थिवम
     तथास्त्व इति च तेनॊक्तः कौन्तेयेन ययौ वनम
 19 गते भगवति वयासे राजा पाण्डुसुतस ततः
     परॊवाच पितरं वृद्धं मन्दं मन्दम इवानतः
 20 यद आह भगवान वयासॊ यच चापि भवतॊ मतम
     यद आह च महेष्वासः कृपॊ विदुर एव च
 21 युयुत्सुः संजयश चैव तत कर्तास्म्य अहम अञ्जसा
     सर्वे हय एते ऽनुमान्या मे कुलस्यास्य हितैषिणः
 22 इदं तु याचे नृपते तवाम अहं शिरसा नतः
     करियतां तावद आहारस ततॊ गच्छाश्रमं परति

 

 1 [vyāsa]
     yudhiṣṭhira mahābāho yad āha kurunandanaḥ
     dhṛtarāṣṭro mahātmā tvāṃ tat kuruṣvāvvicārayan
 2 ayaṃ hi vṛddho nṛpatir hataputro viśeṣataḥ
     nedaṃ kṛcchraṃ cirataraṃ sahed iti matir mama
 3 gāndhārī ca mahābhāgā prājñā karuṇavedinī
     putraśokaṃ mahārāja dhairyeṇodvahate bhṛśam
 4 ahām apy etad eva tvāṃ bravīmi kuru me vacaḥ
     ajujñāṃ labhatāṃ rājā mā vṛtheha mariṣyati
 5 rājarṣīṇāṃ purāṇānām anuyātu gatiṃ nṛpaḥ
     rājarṣīṇāṃ hi sarveṣām ante vanam upāśrayaḥ
 6 [vai]
     ity uktaḥ sa tadā rājā vyāsenādbhuta karmaṇā
     pratyuvāca mahātejā dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
 7 bhagavān eva no mānyo bhagavān eva no guruḥ
     bhagavān asya rājyasya kulasya ca parāyaṇam
 8 ahaṃ tu putro bhagavān pitā rājā guruś ca me
     nideśavartī ca pituḥ putro bhavati dharmataḥ
 9 ity uktaḥ sa tu taṃ prāha vyāso dharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ
     yudhiṣṭhiraṃ mahātejāḥ punar eva viśāṃ pate
 10 evam etan mahābāho yathā vadasi bhārata
    rājāyaṃ vṛddhatāṃ prāptaḥ pramāṇe parame sthitaḥ
 11 so 'yaṃ mayābhyanujñātas tvayā ca pṛthivīpate
    karotu svam abhiprāya māsya vighnakaro bhava
 12 eṣa eva paro dharmo rājarṣīṇāṃ yudhiṣṭhira
    samare vā bhaven mṛtyur vane vā vidhipūrvakam
 13 pitrā tu tava rājendra pāṇḍunā pṛthivīkṣitā
    śiṣyabhūtena rājāyaṃ guruvat paryupāsitaḥ
 14 kratubhir dakṣiṇāvadbhir annaparvata śobhitaiḥ
    mahadbhir iṣṭaṃ bhogaś ca bhuktāś putraś ca pālitāḥ
 15 putra saṃsthaṃ ca vipulaṃ rājyaṃ viproṣite tvayi
    trayodaśa samā bhuktaṃ dattaṃ ca vividhaṃ vasu
 16 tvayā cāyaṃ naravyāghra guruśuśrūṣayā nṛpaḥ
    ārādhitaḥ sabhṛtyena gāndhārī ca yaśasvinī
 17 anujānīhi pitaraṃ samayo 'sya tapo vidhau
    na manyur vidyate cāsya susūkṣmo 'pi yudhiṣṭhira
 18 etāvad uktvā vacanam anujñāpya ca pārthivam
    tathāstv iti ca tenoktaḥ kaunteyena yayau vanam
 19 gate bhagavati vyāse rājā pāṇḍusutas tataḥ
    provāca pitaraṃ vṛddhaṃ mandaṃ mandam ivānataḥ
 20 yad āha bhagavān vyāso yac cāpi bhavato matam
    yad āha ca maheṣvāsaḥ kṛpo vidura eva ca
 21 yuyutsuḥ saṃjayaś caiva tat kartāsmy aham añjasā
    sarve hy ete 'numānyā me kulasyāsya hitaiṣiṇaḥ
 22 idaṃ tu yāce nṛpate tvām ahaṃ śirasā nataḥ
    kriyatāṃ tāvad āhāras tato gacchāśramaṃ prati

 

Vyasa said, 'O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, do without any scruple what Dhritarashtra of Kuru's race hag said. This king is old. He has, again, been made sonless. I think he will not be able to bear his grief long. The highly blessed Gandhari, possessed of great wisdom and endued with kindly speech, bears with fortitude her excessive grief owing to the logs of her song. I also tell thee (what the old king says). Do thou obey my words. Let the old king have thy permission. Let him not die an inglorious death at home. Let this king follow the path of all royal sages of old. Verily, for all royal sages, retirement into the woods comes at last.'"

 

"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed at that time by Vyasa of wonderful deeds, king Yudhishthira the just, possessed of mighty energy, said unto the great ascetic these words, 'Thy holy self is held by us in great reverence. Thou alone art our preceptor. Thou alone art the refuge of this our kingdom as also of our race. I am thy son. Thou, O holy one, art my father. Thou art our king, and thou art our preceptor. The son should, agreeably to every duty, be obedient to the commands of his sire.'

 

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by the king. Vyasa, that foremost of poets, foremost of all persons conversant with the Vedas, endued with great energy once more said unto Yudhishthira these words, 'It is even so, O mighty-armed one. It is even as thou sayest, O Bharata. This king has reached old age. He is now in the last stage of life. Permitted both by me and thee, let this lord of Earth do what he proposes. Do not stand as an impediment in his way. Even this is the highest duty, O Yudhishthira, of royal sages. They should die either in battle or in the woods agreeably to the scriptures. Thy royal sire, Pandu, O king of kings, reverenced this old king as a disciple reverences his preceptor. (At that time) he adored the gods in many great sacrifices with profuse gifts consisting of hills of wealth and jewels, and ruled the Earth and protected his subjects wisely and well. Having obtained a large progeny and a swelling kingdom, he enjoyed great influence for thirteen years while you were in exile, and gave away much wealth. Thyself also, O chief of men, with thy servants, O sinless one, hast adored this king and the famous Gandhari with that ready obedience which. a disciple pays to his preceptor. Do thou grant permission to thy father. The time has come for him to attend to the practice of penances. He does not harbour, O Yudhishthira, even the slightest anger against any of you.'

 

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said these words, Vyasa soothed the old king. Yudhishthira then answered him, saying, 'So be it.' The great ascetic then left the palace for proceeding to the woods. After the holy Vyasa had gone away, the royal son of Pandu softly said these words unto his old father, bending himself in humility,--What the holy Vyasa has said, what is thy own purpose, what the great bowman Kripa has said, what Vidura has expressed, and what has been asked for by Yuyutsu and Sanjaya, I shall accomplish with speed. All these are worthy of my respect, for all of them are well-wishers of our race. This, however, O king, I beg of thee by bending my head. Do thou first eat and afterwards go to thy forest retreat.'