Read Mahabharata Vol. 2 (Penguin Translated Texts) Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
Vaishampayana said, ‘Having heard these words from the best of the brahmanas, the great-souled bull among the Kurus happily bowed down and worshipped his feet. The king spoke to the divine Narada. Yudhishthira said, “I will do what you have instructed, because my wisdom has increased even more.” Having said this, the king did as he had been instructed and obtained the earth, up to the boundaries of the ocean. Narada said, “A king who is always engaged in the protection of the four varnas
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passes his time happily here and attains Shakra’s world.”’
Vaishampayana said, ‘When the supreme maharshi finished speaking, Dharmaraja Yudhishthira worshipped him and was given permission to speak. Yudhishthira said, “O illustrious lord! What you have stated as just and dharma is certainly right. I duly observe what is just to the best of my powers. There is no doubt that acts performed by kings in ancient times, and the way in which they were performed, were successful in attaining just and proper objectives. O lord! I wish to walk along that righteous path. But we are not able to walk it the way those self-controlled ones did.” Having uttered these words and worshipped him, Yudhishthira, with his soul devoted to dharma, paused for some time. Then seeing that Narada, the sage who travelled the worlds, was comfortably seated and he was seated below him, the immensely wise Pandava asked him in the assembly of kings. Yudhishthira asked, “You always travel the many and varied worlds Brahma created in ancient times, at the speed of thought and like a witness. O brahmana! I am asking you. Tell me if you have ever seen anywhere a sabha like this, or one superior to it.” Hearing these words of Dharmaraja, Narada smiled and replied in soft words. Narada said, “O son! O king! O descendant of the Bharata lineage!
I have never seen nor heard of an assembly hall like the bejewelled one that belongs to you in the world of men. I shall describe to you the sabhas of the king of the ancestors,
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the wise Varuna, Indra and the one who dwells in Kailasa.
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O bull among the Bharatas! If your mind wishes to hear, I will also describe Brahma’s divine sabha, the dispeller of all fatigue.” Having been thus addressed by Narada, Dharmaraja Yudhishthira and his brothers, in that assembly of kings, joined their hands in salutation. The great-souled Dharmaraja then replied to Narada, “Describe to us all those assembly halls. We wish to hear from you. O brahmana! What are those sabhas made of? How long are they and how wide? Who waits upon the grandfather
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in his sabha? Who on Vasava, king of the gods, and who on Vaivasvata Yama?
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Who wait on Varuna and Kubera in their sabhas? O devarshi! Tell us. We wish to hear all this exactly. We have been filled with great curiosity.” Having been thus addressed by Pandava, Narada replied, “O king! Then hear about those divine sabhas, one by one.”’
‘Narada said, “O Kourvaya!
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Shakra’s divine sabha is radiant and he obtained it as a result of his acts. Shakra built it himself and it possesses the radiance of the sun. It is one hundred
yojana
s
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wide and one hundred and fifty yojanas long. It is five yojanas high. It is airborne and can roam anywhere at will. It dispels old age, misery and fatigue. It is free from fear, and pure and auspicious. It is full of rooms and seats and is beautiful, adorned with celestial trees.
O Partha! O descedant of the Bharata lineage! There is a supreme seat in that sabha and the lord of the gods sits there with Mahendrani Shachi, who is Shri and Lakshmi.
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His form cannot be described. He wears a crown and red
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bracelets on his upper arms. He is dressed in spotless garments and adorned with brightly coloured garlands. Hri, Kirti and Dyuti are with him.
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O king! There the great-souled Shatakratu is always worshipped by all the Maruts, all the householders, the siddhas, the
sadhya
s and the masses of gods. They and their followers are all divine in form and adorned with ornaments. They worshipped the great-souled king of the gods, the vanquisher of enemies.
‘“O Partha! All the devarshis worship Shakra. They are unblemished, cleansed of sin, radiant, like the fire in form, without blemish and without fatigue. They are performers of the soma sacrifice—Parashara, Parvata, Savarni, Galava, Shankha, Likhita, the sage Gourashira, Durvasa, Dirghatapa, Yajnavalkya, Bhaluki, Uddalaka, Shvetaketu, the lord Shatyayana, Havishmat, Gavishtha, King Harishchandra, Hridya, Udarashandilya, Parasharya, Krishihvala, Vataskandha, Vishakha, Vidhata, Kala, Anantadanta, Tvashta, Vishvakarma and Tumburu. They were born from wombs and not born from wombs. They lived on air and on fire. All of them worshipped the lord of the worlds, the wielder of the vajra—Sahadeva, Sunitha, the immensely ascetic Valmiki, Shamika, Satyavak, the truthful Prachetas, Medhatithi, Vamadeva, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Marutta, Marichi, the immensely ascetic Sthanu, Atri, Kakshivat, Goutama, Tarkshya, the sage Vaishvanara, the sage Kalakavrikshiya, Ashravya, Hiranyada, Samvartta, Devahavya and the powerful Vishvaksena. O Pandava! O descendant of the Bharata lineage! All
the divine waters and herbs, Shraddha,
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Medha,
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Sarasvati,
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artha, dharma, kama, lightning, clouds bearing rain, the winds, thunder, the eastern direction, the twenty-seven fires that convey sacrificial offerings, Agni, Soma, Indragni, Mitra, Savita, Aryama, Bhaga, the Vishvadevas, the Sadhyas, Shukra, Manthi, the sacrifices, the dakshinas, the planets, all the
stobha
s
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and all the mantras uttered at sacrifices are seated there. O king! There are also the apsaras and the beautiful gandharvas. With dancing, music and songs, and various other forms of entertainment, they amuse Shatakratu, the king of the gods. O king of men! With hymns and rituals, they praise the valorous acts of the great-souled destroyer of Bala and Vritra. All the brahmana rajarshis and all the devarshis are there, riding various divine chariots that blaze like the fire. They are garlanded and adorned and all of them come and go. Brihaspati and Shukra go there together. O king! These and many other ascetics who are rigid in their vows, riding chariots that are like the moon and themselves, as handsome as the moon Bhrigu and the seven great sages
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go there on Brahma’s instructions. O king! I have myself seen this sabha of Shatakratu’s, named Pushkaramalini. O great king! O unblemished one! Now hear about Yama’s.”’
‘Narada said, “O Yudhishthira! Listen. I will now describe Vaivasvata Yama’s divine sabha, built by Vishvakarma. O king! O Pandava! That radiant assembly hall is one hundred yojanas long and wide and possesses the resplendence of the sun. It can roam
everywhere at will. It pleases the heart and is neither too cold, nor too hot. Grief, old age, hunger, thirst, unpleasantness, misery, fatigue and obstructions are not found there. Every desire, human and divine, is satisfied there. O vanquisher of foes! There is an abundant supply of tasty food and drink. The garlands there have pure fragrances. The trees always bear flowers and fruit. There is tasty water, both hot and cold.
‘“O son! Pure rajarshis and unblemished brahmarshis
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happily attend upon Yama Vaivasvata there—Yayati, Nahusha, Puru, Mandhata, Somaka, Nriga, Trasadasyu, Turaya, Kritavirya, Shrutashrava, Aripranuda, Susimha, Kritavega, Kriti, Nimi, Pratardana, Shibi, Matysa, Prithavaksha, Brihadratha, Aida, Marutta, Kushika, Samkashya, Samkriti, Bhava, Chaturashva, Sadashvormi, the king Kartavirya, Bharata, Suratha, Sunitha, Nala from Nishadha,
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Divodasa, Sumana, Ambarisha, Bhagiratha, Vyashva, Sadashva, Vadhryashva, Panchahasta, Prithushrava, Rushadgu, Vrishasena, the immensely powerful Kshupa, Rushadashva, Vasumana, Purukutsa, Dhvaji, Rathi, Arshtishena, Dilipa, the great-souled Ushinara, Oushinara, Pundarika, Sharyati, Sharabha, Shuchi, Anga, Arishta, Vena, Duhshanta, Sanjaya, Jaya, Bhangasvari, Sunitha, Nishadha,
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Tvishiratha, Karandhama, Bahlika,
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Sudyumna, the powerful Madhu, Kapotaroma, Trinaka, Sahadeva, Arjuna, Dasharathi Rama,
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Lakshmana, Pratardana, Alarka, Kakshasena, Gaya, Gourashva, Jamadagni Rama,
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Nabhaga, Sagara, Bhuridyumna, Mahashva, Prithvashva, Janaka, the king Vainya, Varishena, Puraja, Janamejaya, Brahmadatta, Trigarta, King Uparichara, Indradyumna, Bhimajanu, Gaya, Prishtha, the unblemished Naya, Padma, Muchukunda, Bhuridyumna, Prasenajit,
Arishtanemi, Pradyumna, Prithagashva, Ajaka, the one hundred kings from Matsya,
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the hundred Nipas,
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the hundred Hayas,
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the one hundred Dhritarashtras,
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the eighty Janamejayas,
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the one hundred Brahmadattas,
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the one hundred fighting Iris,
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the rajarshi Shantanu, your father Pandu, Ushadgava, Shataratha, Devaraja, Jayadratha, the rajarshi Vrishadarbhi, Dhaman and his ministers and, in addition, thousands of Shashabindus
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who departed after performing many great horse sacrifices, with copious donations. O rajarshi! These pure rajarshis, of great fame and renown, waited upon Vaivasvata Yama in his sabha. There were Agastya, Matanga, Kala,
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Mrityu,
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performers of sacrifices, Siddhas, those whose bodies are based on yoga, those with fire in their mouths,
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the ancestors—those who live on froth, those who live on vapours, those who receive oblations, those who seat themselves on kusa grass and those others who have bodies.
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Free from disease and in embodied form, the wheel of time, the illustrious conveyor of sacrificial offerings,
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men who performed evil deeds, those who died during the winter solstice, those of Yama’s officers appointed to reckon time,
shimshapa
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and
palasha
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trees,
kasha
,
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kusha
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and other trees and plants worshipped
Dharmaraja.
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These and many others are the courtiers of the king of the ancestors. O Partha!
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I am incapable of enumerating their names and deeds. But this beautiful sabha is never crowded and is capable of going anywhere at will. Vishvakarma built it after spending a long time in austerities. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! It blazes with the luminosity of its own radiance. Ascetics who are fearsome in their austerities, rigid in their vows, truthful, calm, practised in renunciation, accomplished, purified through their holy deeds, all with radiant bodies and all attired in spotless attire, adorned with bracelets on their upper arms and garlands, with flaming earrings, performers of good and holy deeds and marked with signs, go there. Great-souled gandharvas and one hundred classes of apsaras are there, filling it everywhere with instrumental music, dancing, singing, laughter and sport. O Partha! Sacred fragrances and sounds and celestial garlands adorn it everywhere. Ten million righteous and intelligent men, in bodily form, always wait upon the great-souled lord of all beings. O king! Such is the sabha of the great-souled king of the ancestors. I will now describe to you Varuna’s sabha, known as Pushkaramalini.”’
‘Narada said, “O Yudhishthira! Varuna’s celestial sabha is white in radiance. Its dimensions are exactly like those of Yama’s, with white walls and portals. Vishvakarma built it under the water and it is surrounded with divine bejewelled trees, yielding flowers and fruit. It is carpeted with blue, yellow, black, dark, white and red flowers and there are bowers with clusters of blossoms. Hundreds and thousands of beautiful and sweet-toned birds of many varieties
are there, with forms impossible to describe. That sabha is pleasant to the touch, not too cold, nor too hot. It is beautiful and white, ruled by Varuna, with many rooms and seats. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Varuna sits there with Varuni,
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adorned with celestial gems, ornaments and attire. Adorned and ornamented, bedecked with celestial garlands, the Adityas wait upon Varuna, the lord of the water, there. So do Vasuki, Takshaka, the serpent named Airavata, Krishna,
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Lohita, Padma, the valorous Chitra, the nagas Kambala and Ashvatara, Dhritarashtra, Balahaka, Manimana, Kundaladhara, Karkotaka, Dhananjaya,
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Prahrada, Mushikada and Janamejaya
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—all spreading their hoods, marked with pennants and auspicious circular signs. O Yudhisthira! Without ever getting tired, these and many other serpents wait upon the great-souled Varuna—King Vairochana Bali,
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Naraka the conqueror of the earth,
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Prahrada, Viprachitti, the danavas known as Kalakhanjas, Suhanu, Durmukha, Shankha, Sumana, Sumati, Ghatodara, Mahaparshva, Krathana, Pithara, Vishvarupa, Surupa, Virupa, Mahashirsa, Dashagriva,
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Vali,
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Meghavasa, Dashavara, Kaitabha,
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Vitatuta, Samhrada, Indratapana. These classes of daityas and danavas are all adorned with beautiful earrings, garlanded and crowned and attired in divine garments. They have been blessed with boons, are brave, and have all transcended mortality. They are all correct in observing their vows
and worship the great-souled god Varuna, who holds them in dharma’s noose.
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‘“O Yudhishthira. There are the four oceans,
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the river Bhagirathi, Kalindi,
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Vidisha,
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Venna,
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Narmada, Vegavahini, Vipasha,
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Shatadru,
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Chandrabhaga,
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Sarasvati,
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Iravati, Vitasta,
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Sindhu,
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Devanada,
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Godavari, Krishnavenna,
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Kaveri the best of rivers—these and other rivers, fords and lakes, wells and springs, ponds and tanks, in embodied form. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! The directions, the earth, all the mountains and all the aquatic creatures worship the great-souled one. All the masses of gandharvas and apsaras, skilled in singing and playing musical instruments, are seated and they praise Varuna. Mountains full of jewels and the juices of herbs are all there in embodied form, worshipping the lord. O bull among the Bharata lineage! Such is Varuna’s beautiful sabha, which I have myself seen in my earlier travels. Hear now about Kubera’s sabha.”’