Mahabharata — Volume I (Dutt edition) — Chapter 240

MBh 1 240.1

वैशम्पायन उवाच सम्पूज्याथाभ्यनुज्ञातो महर्षेर्वचनात् परम्। प्रत्युवाचानुपूर्येण धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः॥

vaiśampāyana uvāca sampūjyāthābhyanujñāto maharṣervacanāt param| pratyuvācānupūryeṇa dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ||

Vaishampayana said At the end on the Brahmarshi (Narada's) words, Dharamaraja Yudhishthira's duly worshipped him; and then having been commanded by him he replied in detail (to the questions asked by the Rishi).

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.2

युधिष्ठिर उवाच भगवन् न्याय्यमाहैतं यथावद् धर्मनिश्चयम्। यथाशक्ति यथान्यायं क्रियतेऽयं विधिर्मया॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca bhagavan nyāyyamāhaitaṃ yathāvad dharmaniścayam| yathāśakti yathānyāyaṃ kriyate'yaṃ vidhirmayā||

Yudhishthira said O blessed one, the truth of religion and morality indicated by you are just and proper. I duly observe them to the best of my power.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.3

राजभिर्यद् यथा कार्य पुरा वैतन्न संशयः। यथान्यायोपनीतार्थं कृतं हेतुमदर्थवत्॥

rājabhiryad yathā kārya purā vaitanna saṃśayaḥ| yathānyāyopanītārthaṃ kṛtaṃ hetumadarthavat||

There is no doubt that the acts properly performed by the kings of the olden days should be regarded as having borne proper fruit and having been undertaken from sound motive for the attainment of proper objects.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.4

वयं तु सत्पथं तेषां यातुमिच्छामहे प्रभो। न तु शक्यं तथा गन्तुं यथा तैर्नियतात्मभिः॥

vayaṃ tu satpathaṃ teṣāṃ yātumicchāmahe prabho| na tu śakyaṃ tathā gantuṃ yathā tairniyatātmabhiḥ||

O lord, I wish to walk in the virtuous path of those kings; but we are not able to walk along it like those self-controlled monarchs.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.5

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्त्वा स धर्मात्मा वाक्यं तदभिपूज्य च। मुहूर्तात् प्राप्तकालं च दृष्ट्वा लोकचरं मुनिम्॥ नारदं सुस्थमासीनमुपासीनो युधिष्ठिरः। अपृच्छत् पाण्डवस्तत्र राजमध्ये महाद्युतिः॥

vaiśampāyana uvāca evamuktvā sa dharmātmā vākyaṃ tadabhipūjya ca| muhūrtāt prāptakālaṃ ca dṛṣṭvā lokacaraṃ munim|| nāradaṃ susthamāsīnamupāsīno yudhiṣṭhiraḥ| apṛcchat pāṇḍavastatra rājamadhye mahādyutiḥ||

Vaishampayana said The greatly effulgent son of Pandu, Yudhishthira, having received with reverence the words of Narada, and having also replied to the Rishi, reflected for some time. Getting a proper opportunity the king who sat by the side of the Rishi capable of going everywhere at will asked him thus in the presence of the assembly of kings.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.6

युधिष्ठिर उवाच भवान् संचरते लोकान् सदा नानाविधान् बहून्। ब्रह्मणा निर्मितान् पूर्वं प्रेक्षमाणो मनोजवः॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca bhavān saṃcarate lokān sadā nānāvidhān bahūn| brahmaṇā nirmitān pūrvaṃ prekṣamāṇo manojavaḥ||

Yudhishthira said You possess the sped of mind, you roam over various worlds created in the days of yore by Brahma, thus everywhere seeing everything in them.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.7

ईदृशी भवता काचिद् दृष्टपूर्वा सभा क्वचित्। इतो वा श्रेयसी ब्रह्मस्तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः॥

īdṛśī bhavatā kācid dṛṣṭapūrvā sabhā kvacit| ito vā śreyasī brahmastanmamācakṣva pṛcchataḥ||

O Brahmana, tell me I ask you, if you have ever before seen anywhere an assembly-hall like this one belonging to me or superior to it.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.8

वैशम्पायन उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा नारदस्तस्य धर्मराजस्य भाषितम्। पाण्डवं प्रत्युवाचेदं स्पयन् मधुरया गिरा॥

vaiśampāyana uvāca tacchrutvā nāradastasya dharmarājasya bhāṣitam| pāṇḍavaṃ pratyuvācedaṃ spayan madhurayā girā||

Vaishampayana said Having heard the words of Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira), Narda smiling by answered the Pandava in these sweet words.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.9

नारद उवाच मानुषेषु न मे तात दृष्टपूर्वा न च श्रुता। सभा मणिमयी राजन् यथेयं तव भारत॥

nārada uvāca mānuṣeṣu na me tāta dṛṣṭapūrvā na ca śrutā| sabhā maṇimayī rājan yatheyaṃ tava bhārata||

Narada said O child, O king, O descendant of Bharata, I have never heard nor seen amongst men any assembly-hall built of gems and precious stones like one belonging to you.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.10

सभां तु पितृराजस्य वरुणस्य च धीमतः। कथयिष्ये तथेन्द्रस्य कैलासनिलयस्य च॥

sabhāṃ tu pitṛrājasya varuṇasya ca dhīmataḥ| kathayiṣye tathendrasya kailāsanilayasya ca||

I shall desirable to you the assembly-hall of the regions of the king of the Pitris (Yama) of the intelligent Varuna, of Indra, and of the deity whose abode is on the Kailasa (Kubera).

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.11

ब्रह्मणश्च सभां दिव्यां कथयिष्ये गतक्लमाम्। दिव्यादिव्यैरभिप्रायैरुपेतां विश्वरूपिणीम्॥ देवैः पितृगणैः साध्यैर्यज्वभिर्नियतात्मभिः। जुष्टां मुनिगणैः शान्तैर्वेदयज्ञैः सदक्षिणैः। यदि ते श्रवणे बुद्धिर्वर्तते भरतर्षभा॥

brahmaṇaśca sabhāṃ divyāṃ kathayiṣye gataklamām| divyādivyairabhiprāyairupetāṃ viśvarūpiṇīm|| devaiḥ pitṛgaṇaiḥ sādhyairyajvabhirniyatātmabhiḥ| juṣṭāṃ munigaṇaiḥ śāntairvedayajñaiḥ sadakṣiṇaiḥ| yadi te śravaṇe buddhirvartate bharatarṣabhā||

I shall (also) describe to you the assemblyhall of Brahma that dispels all misery. All these assembly-hall exhibit in their structure both celestials and human designs and present every kind of form that exists in the Universe. They are worshipped by the celestialss, the Pitris, the Ganas, the Sadhyas, the self-controlled ascetics engaged in sacrifices and the mild Rishis that are ever employed in the Vedic sacrifices with Dakshinas. O best of the Bharata race, if your mind is set upon hearing all this, (I shall describe them to you).

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.12

नारदेनैवमुक्तस्तु धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः। प्राञ्जलिर्धातृभिः सार्धं तैश्च सर्द्विजोत्तमैः॥

nāradenaivamuktastu dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ| prāñjalirdhātṛbhiḥ sārdhaṃ taiśca sardvijottamaiḥ||

Vaishampayana said Having been thus addressed by Narada, Dharmaraja Yudhishthira with all the excellent Brahmanas (that were present there) joined his hands.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.13

नारदं प्रत्युवाचेदं धर्मराजो महामनाः। सभाः कथय ताः सर्वाः श्रोतुमिच्छामहे वयम्॥

nāradaṃ pratyuvācedaṃ dharmarājo mahāmanāḥ| sabhāḥ kathaya tāḥ sarvāḥ śrotumicchāmahe vayam||

The high-minded Dharmaraja then thus spoke to Narada, "describe to us all those assembly-halls. We desire to hear (all about them) from you.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.14

किंद्रव्यास्ताः सभा ब्रह्मन् किंविस्ताराः किमायताः। पितामहं च के तस्यां सभायां पर्युपासते॥

kiṃdravyāstāḥ sabhā brahman kiṃvistārāḥ kimāyatāḥ| pitāmahaṃ ca ke tasyāṃ sabhāyāṃ paryupāsate||

O Brahmana, which Sabha (assembly-hall) is made of what articles? What is the area of each, and what is the length and breadth of each? Who waits upon the Grandsire in his Sabha?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.15

वासवं देवराजं च यमं वैवस्वतं च के। वरुणं च कुबेरं च सभायां पर्युपासते॥

vāsavaṃ devarājaṃ ca yamaṃ vaivasvataṃ ca ke| varuṇaṃ ca kuberaṃ ca sabhāyāṃ paryupāsate||

Who waits upon the king of the celestialss Vasava (Indra), upon the son of Vaivasvata Yama, upon Varuna, and upon Kubera in their assembly-halls?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.16

एतत् सर्व यथान्यायं ब्रह्मर्षे वदतस्तवा श्रोतुमिच्छाम सहिताः परं कौतूहलं हि नः॥

etat sarva yathānyāyaṃ brahmarṣe vadatastavā śrotumicchāma sahitāḥ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ||

O Brahmarshi, tell us all about this. We all together desire to hear you describe them. We are full of great curiosity."

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 240.17

एवमुक्तः पाण्डवेन नारदः प्रतयभाषत। क्रमेण राजन् दिव्यास्ताः श्रूयन्तामिह नः सभाः॥

evamuktaḥ pāṇḍavena nāradaḥ pratayabhāṣata| krameṇa rājan divyāstāḥ śrūyantāmiha naḥ sabhāḥ||

Having been thus addressed, Narada replied, O king, hear all about these Sabha one after the other.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)