Mahabharata — Volume I (Dutt edition) — Chapter 71

MBh 1 71.1

वैशम्पायन उवाच ततोऽगच्छन्महाबाहुरेकोऽमात्यान् विसृज्य तान्। नापश्यचाश्रमे तस्मिंस्तमृषि संशितव्रतम्॥

vaiśampāyana uvāca tato'gacchanmahābāhureko'mātyān visṛjya tān| nāpaśyacāśrame tasmiṃstamṛṣi saṃśitavratam||

Vaishampayana said : Having proceeded further, leaving behind him all his attendants that mighty, armed king entered the hermitage alone but he did not find there the Rishi of rigid vows, (Kanva).

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

MBh 1 71.2

सोऽपश्यमानस्तमृषि शून्यं दृष्ट्वा तथाऽऽश्रमम्। उवाच क इहेत्युचैर्वनं संनादयन्निव॥

so'paśyamānastamṛṣi śūnyaṃ dṛṣṭvā tathā''śramam| uvāca ka ihetyucairvanaṃ saṃnādayanniva||

Having seen that the Rishi's hermitage was empty, he hailed aloud, "Ho, who is here?" And his voice was echoed in the forest.

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

MBh 1 71.3

श्रुत्वाथ तस्य तं शब्दं कन्या श्रीरिव रूपिणी। निश्चक्रामाश्रमात् तस्मात् तापसीवेषधारिणी॥

śrutvātha tasya taṃ śabdaṃ kanyā śrīriva rūpiṇī| niścakrāmāśramāt tasmāt tāpasīveṣadhāriṇī||

Hearing his voice, a maiden, in the garb of ascetics, as beautiful as Shree (Lakshmi), came out of the hermitage.

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

MBh 1 71.4

सा तं दृष्दैव राजानं दुष्यन्तमसितेक्षणा। स्वागतं त इति क्षिप्रमुवाच प्रतिपूज्य च॥

sā taṃ dṛṣdaiva rājānaṃ duṣyantamasitekṣaṇā| svāgataṃ ta iti kṣipramuvāca pratipūjya ca||

No sooner that black-eyed damsel saw the king Dushyanta, that she instantly bade him welcome and worshipped him in due form,

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

MBh 1 71.5

आसनेनार्चयित्वा च पाद्यनायेण चैव हि। पप्रच्छानामयं राजन् कुशलं च नराधिपम्॥

āsanenārcayitvā ca pādyanāyeṇa caiva hi| papracchānāmayaṃ rājan kuśalaṃ ca narādhipam||

She respected him with offering a seat, she gave him water to wash his feet and she then offered him the argha. Having done all this, O king, she then enquired after his health and peace.

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

MBh 1 71.6

यथावदर्चयित्वाथ पृष्ट्वा चानामयं तदा। उवाच स्मयमानेव किं कार्य क्रियतामिति॥

yathāvadarcayitvātha pṛṣṭvā cānāmayaṃ tadā| uvāca smayamāneva kiṃ kārya kriyatāmiti||

Having thus honoured him in due form and enquired about his health and peace, the maiden most respectfully asked the king, "What should be done?”

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

MBh 1 71.7

तामब्रवीत् ततो राजा कन्यां मधुरभाषिणीम्। दृष्ट्वा चैवानवद्यागी यथावत् प्रतिपूजितः॥

tāmabravīt tato rājā kanyāṃ madhurabhāṣiṇīm| dṛṣṭvā caivānavadyāgī yathāvat pratipūjitaḥ||

Having been thus honoured in due form, the king replied to that sweet-speeched and

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

MBh 1 71.8

आगतोऽहं महाभागमृर्षि कण्वमुपासितुम्। क्व गतो भगवान् भद्रे तन्ममाचक्ष्व शोभने।॥

āgato'haṃ mahābhāgamṛrṣi kaṇvamupāsitum| kva gato bhagavān bhadre tanmamācakṣva śobhane|||

"I have come to worship the greatly blessed Rishi Kanva. O amiable and beautiful lady, tell me where has the illustrious man gone?"

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

MBh 1 71.9

शकुन्तलोवाच गत: पिता मे भगवान् फलान्याहर्तुमाश्रमात्। मुहूर्तं सम्प्रतीक्षस्व द्रष्टास्येनमुपागतम्॥

śakuntalovāca gata: pitā me bhagavān phalānyāhartumāśramāt| muhūrtaṃ sampratīkṣasva draṣṭāsyenamupāgatam||

Shakuntala said : My noble father has gone away from the hermitage to collect fruits. Kindly wait for a moment and you will see him when he will come.

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

MBh 1 71.10

वैशम्पायन उवाच अपश्यमानस्तमृषि तथा चोक्तस्तया च सः। तां दृष्ट्वा च वरारोहां श्रीमती चारुहासिनीम्॥ विभ्राजमानां वपुषा तपसा च दमेन च। रूपयौवनसम्पन्नामित्युवाच महीपतिः॥

vaiśampāyana uvāca apaśyamānastamṛṣi tathā coktastayā ca saḥ| tāṃ dṛṣṭvā ca varārohāṃ śrīmatī cāruhāsinīm|| vibhrājamānāṃ vapuṣā tapasā ca damena ca| rūpayauvanasampannāmityuvāca mahīpatiḥ||

Vaishampayana said : The king, having not seen the Rishi and having been thus addressed by the maiden, saw that she was exceedingly beautiful, she was an exquisite beauty of sweet smiles and a lady of perfect symmetry of shape. She was in the bloom of her youth and beauty; she was adorned with the beauty of faultless features, hard asceticism and sweet humility. The king

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

MBh 1 71.11

का त्वं कस्यासि सुश्रोणि किमर्थं चागता वनम्। एवंरूपगुणोपेता कुतस्त्वमसि शोभने॥

kā tvaṃ kasyāsi suśroṇi kimarthaṃ cāgatā vanam| evaṃrūpaguṇopetā kutastvamasi śobhane||

"Who are you? O beautiful lady, whose daughter are you? Why have you come into this forest? ( beautiful lady, accomplished and beautiful as you are, whence have you come here?"

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

MBh 1 71.12

दर्शनादेव हि शुभे त्वया मेऽपहतं मनः। इच्छामि त्वामहं ज्ञातुं तन्ममाचक्ष्व शोभने॥

darśanādeva hi śubhe tvayā me'pahataṃ manaḥ| icchāmi tvāmahaṃ jñātuṃ tanmamācakṣva śobhane||

O charming lady, you have stolen my heart at the very first glance. I desire to know all about you. O beautiful lady, tell me all.”

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

MBh 1 71.13

एवमुक्ता तु सा कन्या तेन राज्ञा तमाश्रमे। उवाच हसती वाक्यमिदं सुमधुराक्षरम्॥

evamuktā tu sā kanyā tena rājñā tamāśrame| uvāca hasatī vākyamidaṃ sumadhurākṣaram||

Having been thus addressed by the king in that lermitage, the maiden smilingly replied to him in sweet words.

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

MBh 1 71.14

कण्वस्याहं भगवतो दुष्यन्त दुहिता मता। तपस्विनो धृतिमतो धर्मज्ञस्य महात्मनः॥

kaṇvasyāhaṃ bhagavato duṣyanta duhitā matā| tapasvino dhṛtimato dharmajñasya mahātmanaḥ||

"O (king) Dushyanta, I am the daughter of the illustrious, virtuous, wise and high-souled ascetic Kanva.

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

MBh 1 71.15

दुष्यन्त उवाच ऊर्ध्वरेता महाभागे भगवाँल्लोकपूजितः। चलेद्धि वृत्ताद् धर्मोऽपि न चलेत् संशितव्रतः॥

duṣyanta uvāca ūrdhvaretā mahābhāge bhagavā~llokapūjitaḥ| caleddhi vṛttād dharmo'pi na calet saṃśitavrataḥ||

Dushyanta said : The illustrious and highly blessed Rishi is worshipped by all the world. He has completely controlled his sexual passions. Even Dharma may fall from the right path, but an ascetic of rigid vows can never fall from it.

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

MBh 1 71.16

कथं त्वं तस्य दुहिता सम्भूता वरवर्णिनी। संशयो मे महानत्र तन्मे छेत्तुमिहार्हसि॥

kathaṃ tvaṃ tasya duhitā sambhūtā varavarṇinī| saṃśayo me mahānatra tanme chettumihārhasi||

O beautiful and charming lady, how can you be his daughter? You should dispel from my mind this great doubt of mine.

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

MBh 1 71.17

शकुन्तलोवाच यथायमागमो मह्यं यथा चेदमभूत् पुरा। शृणु राजन् यथातत्त्वं यथास्मि दुहिता मुनेः॥

śakuntalovāca yathāyamāgamo mahyaṃ yathā cedamabhūt purā| śṛṇu rājan yathātattvaṃ yathāsmi duhitā muneḥ||

Shakuntala said : O king! hear, what I have learnt (from the Rishi), regarding all that happened to me and how I became the daughter of the Rishi (Kanva).

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

MBh 1 71.18

ऋषिः कश्चिदिहागम्य मम जन्माभ्यचोदयत्। तस्मै प्रोवाच भगवान् यथा तच्छणु पार्थिव॥

ṛṣiḥ kaścidihāgamya mama janmābhyacodayat| tasmai provāca bhagavān yathā tacchaṇu pārthiva||

Once on a time, a Rishi came here and asked about my birth. () king, hear what the illustrious Rishi (Kanva) told him about me.

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

MBh 1 71.19

कण्व उवाच तप्यमानः किल पुरा विश्वामित्रो महत् तपः। सुभृशं तापयामास शक्रं सुरगणेश्वरम्॥

kaṇva uvāca tapyamānaḥ kila purā viśvāmitro mahat tapaḥ| subhṛśaṃ tāpayāmāsa śakraṃ suragaṇeśvaram||

Kanva said: In days of yore, Vishvamitra were engaged in austere asceticism and he thus alarmed Indra, the king of the celestials.

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

MBh 1 71.20

तपसा दीप्तवीर्योऽयं स्थानान्मां च्यावयेदिति। भीत: पुरंदरस्तस्मान्मेनकामिदमब्रवीत्॥

tapasā dīptavīryo'yaṃ sthānānmāṃ cyāvayediti| bhīta: puraṃdarastasmānmenakāmidamabravīt||

He (Indra) thought that the Rishi by his great ascetic penances would hurl him from his high seat in heaven. Being thus alarmed, he called Menaka and told her,

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

MBh 1 71.21

गुणैरप्सरसां दिव्यैर्मेनके त्वं विशिष्यसे। श्रेयो मे कुरु कल्याणि यत् त्वां वक्ष्यामि तच्छृणु॥२२ असावादित्यसंकाशो विश्वामित्रो महातपाः। तप्यमानस्तपो घोरं मम कम्पयते मनः॥

guṇairapsarasāṃ divyairmenake tvaṃ viśiṣyase| śreyo me kuru kalyāṇi yat tvāṃ vakṣyāmi tacchṛṇu||22 asāvādityasaṃkāśo viśvāmitro mahātapāḥ| tapyamānastapo ghoraṃ mama kampayate manaḥ||

"O Menaka, you are the best of all celestial Apsaras. O amiable girl, do me this service. Listen to what I say. The great ascetic Vishvamitra, as effulgent as the Sun, is now engaged in great asceticism and therefore my heart is trembling.

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

MBh 1 71.22

मेनके तव भारोऽयं विश्वामित्र: सुमध्यमे। शंसितात्मा सुदुर्धर्ष उग्रे तपसि वर्तते॥

menake tava bhāro'yaṃ viśvāmitra: sumadhyame| śaṃsitātmā sudurdharṣa ugre tapasi vartate||

O Menaka, O slender-waisted girl, it is your business. You must see Vishvamitra, whose soul is rapt in contemplation and who is deeply engaged in the austere penances.

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

MBh 1 71.23

समां न च्यावयेत् स्थानात् तं वै गत्वा प्रलोभय। चर तस्य तपोविघ्नं कुरु मेऽविघ्नमुत्तमम्॥

samāṃ na cyāvayet sthānāt taṃ vai gatvā pralobhaya| cara tasya tapovighnaṃ kuru me'vighnamuttamam||

He may displace me from my (high) seat (in heaven). Go and tempt him. Frustrating his asceticism, do my good.

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

MBh 1 71.24

रूपयौवनमाधुर्यचेष्टितस्मितभाषणैः। लोभयित्वा वरारोहे तपसस्तं निवर्तय॥

rūpayauvanamādhuryaceṣṭitasmitabhāṣaṇaiḥ| lobhayitvā varārohe tapasastaṃ nivartaya||

O beautiful girl, win him from his asceticism, by tempting him with your beauty, youth, agreeableness, arts, smiles and speech.

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

MBh 1 71.25

मेनकोवाच महातेजाः स भगवांस्तथैव च महातपाः। कोपनश्च तथा ह्येनं जानाति भगवानपि॥

menakovāca mahātejāḥ sa bhagavāṃstathaiva ca mahātapāḥ| kopanaśca tathā hyenaṃ jānāti bhagavānapi||

Menaka said: That illustrious Rishi, is a great ascetic and is greatly effulgent; your illustrious self known also that he is very wrathful.

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

MBh 1 71.26

तेजसस्तपसश्चैव कोपस्य च महात्मनः। त्वमप्युद्विजसे यस्य नोद्विजेयमहं कथम्॥

tejasastapasaścaiva kopasya ca mahātmanaḥ| tvamapyudvijase yasya nodvijeyamahaṃ katham||

The energy, the asceticism and the wrath of that illustrious man have made even you anxious. Why should I not be afraid of him?

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

MBh 1 71.27

महाभागं वसिष्ठं यः पुत्ररिष्टैर्व्ययोजयत्। क्षत्रजातश्च यः पूर्वमभवद् ब्राह्मणो बलात्॥ शौचार्थं यो नदी चक्रे दुर्गमां बहुभिर्जलैः। यां तां पुण्यतमां लोके कौशिकीति विदुर्जनाः॥

mahābhāgaṃ vasiṣṭhaṃ yaḥ putrariṣṭairvyayojayat| kṣatrajātaśca yaḥ pūrvamabhavad brāhmaṇo balāt|| śaucārthaṃ yo nadī cakre durgamāṃ bahubhirjalaiḥ| yāṃ tāṃ puṇyatamāṃ loke kauśikīti vidurjanāḥ||

He made even the illustrious Vasishtha to suffer the grief of the premature death of his sons. He was originally a Kshatriya, but has become a Brahmana by his own strength (of asceticism). He created a deep river of strong currents for the purposes of ablutions. That holy river is still known in the world by the name of Kaushika.

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

MBh 1 71.28

बभार यत्रास्य पुरा काले दुर्गे महात्मनः। दारान्मतङ्गो धर्मात्मा राजर्षिाधतां गतः॥

babhāra yatrāsya purā kāle durge mahātmanaḥ| dārānmataṅgo dharmātmā rājarṣiādhatāṃ gataḥ||

Here (on the banks of this river) the wife (of this illustrious man) was maintained during a famine by the royal sage Matanga, who was living there as a hunter (under a curse)

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

MBh 1 71.29

अतीतकाले दुर्भिक्षे अभ्येत्य पुनराश्रमम्। मुनिः पारेति नद्या वै नाम चक्रे तदा प्रभुः॥

atītakāle durbhikṣe abhyetya punarāśramam| muniḥ pāreti nadyā vai nāma cakre tadā prabhuḥ||

O Lord, this illustrious man, after the famine was over, came back to his hermitage and gave the river the name of Para,

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

MBh 1 71.30

मतङ्गं याजयाञ्चक्रे यत्र प्रीतमनाः स्वयम्। त्वं च सोमं भयाद् यस्य गतः पातुं सुरेश्वर॥

mataṅgaṃ yājayāñcakre yatra prītamanāḥ svayam| tvaṃ ca somaṃ bhayād yasya gataḥ pātuṃ sureśvara||

Being very much pleased with Matanga, this illustrious man became his priest for the purpose of sacrifice. O king of the celestials, out of fear you yourself went to that sacrifice to drink this Soma.

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

MBh 1 71.31

चकारान्यं च लोकं वै क्रुद्धो नक्षत्रसम्पदा। प्रतिश्रवणपूर्वाणि नक्षत्राणि चकार यः। गुरुशापहतस्यापि त्रिशङ्कोः शरणं ददौ॥

cakārānyaṃ ca lokaṃ vai kruddho nakṣatrasampadā| pratiśravaṇapūrvāṇi nakṣatrāṇi cakāra yaḥ| guruśāpahatasyāpi triśaṅkoḥ śaraṇaṃ dadau||

This illustrious man created in anger another world with stars; he created numerous other stars, beginning from Shravana. This illustrious man gave protection to Trishanku, cursed by his preceptor.

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

MBh 1 71.32

एतानि यस्य कर्माणि तस्याहं भृशमुद्विजे। यथासौ न दहेत् क्रुद्धस्तथाऽऽज्ञापय मां विभो॥

etāni yasya karmāṇi tasyāhaṃ bhṛśamudvije| yathāsau na dahet kruddhastathā''jñāpaya māṃ vibho||

I am afraid to go to a man whose deeds are such. O Lord, ordain that which may prevent him from burning me in anger.

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

MBh 1 71.33

तेजसा निर्दहेल्लोकान् कम्पयेद् धरणी पदा। संक्षिपेच महामेरुं तूर्णमावर्तयेद् दिशः॥

tejasā nirdahellokān kampayed dharaṇī padā| saṃkṣipeca mahāmeruṃ tūrṇamāvartayed diśaḥ||

He burn the worlds with his effulgence; he can make the earth quake by a kick; he can uproot the great Meru (mountain) and hurl it to a great distance and go round the ten points of the earth in a moment. can

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

MBh 1 71.34

तादृशं तपसा युक्तं प्रदीप्तमिव पावकम्। कथमस्मद्विधा नारी जितेन्द्रियमभिस्पृशेत्॥

tādṛśaṃ tapasā yuktaṃ pradīptamiva pāvakam| kathamasmadvidhā nārī jitendriyamabhispṛśet||

How can a woman (like my humble self) touch such a man who is full of ascetic virtues, who is as blazing as the blazing fire and who has completely controlled his passions.

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

MBh 1 71.35

हुताशनमुखं दीप्तं सूर्यचन्द्राक्षितारकम्। कालजिह्व सुरश्रेष्ठ कथमस्मद्विधा स्पृशेत्॥

hutāśanamukhaṃ dīptaṃ sūryacandrākṣitārakam| kālajihva suraśreṣṭha kathamasmadvidhā spṛśet||

His mouth is as blazing as the fire, the pupils of his eyes are like the sun and the moon and his tongue is like Yama himself. O best of the celestials, how can women like ourselves touch him?

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

MBh 1 71.36

यमश्च सोमश्च महर्षयश्च साध्या विश्वे वालखिल्याश्च सर्वे। एतेऽपि यस्योद्विजन्ते प्रभावात् तस्मात् कस्मान्मादृशी नोद्विजेत॥

yamaśca somaśca maharṣayaśca sādhyā viśve vālakhilyāśca sarve| ete'pi yasyodvijante prabhāvāt tasmāt kasmānmādṛśī nodvijeta||

Yama, Soma, great Rishis, the Sadhyas, the Vishvedevas, the Valakhilyas, all are alarmed at the thought of his prowess. Why should not a woman (like myself) be afraid of him?

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

MBh 1 71.37

मृषेर्न गच्छेयमहं सुरेन्द्र। रक्षां तु मे चिन्तय देवराज यथा त्वदर्थं रक्षिताहं चरेयम्॥

mṛṣerna gaccheyamahaṃ surendra| rakṣāṃ tu me cintaya devarāja yathā tvadarthaṃ rakṣitāhaṃ careyam||

O king of the celestials, commanded by you somehow or other I must go to that Rishi. But, O king of the celestials, devise some means by which, under your protection, I can safely inove about him.

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

MBh 1 71.38

काम त मे मारुतस्तत्र वास: प्रक्रीडिताया विवृणोतु देवा भवेच मे मन्मथस्तत्र कार्ये सहायभूतस्तु तव प्रसादात्॥

kāma ta me mārutastatra vāsa: prakrīḍitāyā vivṛṇotu devā bhaveca me manmathastatra kārye sahāyabhūtastu tava prasādāt||

Ocelestial ! when I shall be near the Rishi, Maruta (wind) should be there and rob me of my cloth. Manmatha (the god of love) should at your command help me in my this work.

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

MBh 1 71.39

वनाच्च वायुः सुरभिः प्रवायात् तस्मिन् काले तमृषि लोभयन्त्याः। स्ततोययौसाऽऽश्रमं कौशिकस्य॥

vanācca vāyuḥ surabhiḥ pravāyāt tasmin kāle tamṛṣi lobhayantyāḥ| statoyayausā''śramaṃ kauśikasya||

Let the wind carry sweet fragrance from the wood to tempt the Rishi. Having said this and having seen that all that she wanted had been duly provided, she went to the hermitage of the great Kaushika, (Vishvamitra).

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