Mahabharata Vol. 2 (Penguin Translated Texts) (44 page)

This section has 1175 shlokas and thirty-seven chapters.

Chapter 340(43): 38 shlokas
Chapter 341(44): 32 shlokas
Chapter 342(45): 38 shlokas
Chapter 343(46): 41 shlokas
Chapter 344(47): 12 shlokas
Chapter 345(48): 41 shlokas
Chapter 346(49): 43 shlokas
Chapter 347(50): 31 shlokas
Chapter 348(51): 29 shlokas
Chapter 349(52): 24 shlokas
Chapter 350(53): 21 shlokas
Chapter 351(54): 38 shlokas
Chapter 352(55): 13 shlokas
Chapter 353(56): 18 shlokas
Chapter 354(57): 23 shlokas
Chapter 355(58): 34 shlokas
Chapter 356(59): 25 shlokas
Chapter 357(60): 38 shlokas
Chapter 358(61): 125 shlokas
Chapter 359(62): 43 shlokas
Chapter 360(63): 24 shlokas
Chapter 361(64): 19 shlokas
Chapter 362(65): 37 shlokas
Chapter 363(66): 26 shlokas
Chapter 364(67): 22 shlokas
Chapter 365(68): 24 shlokas
Chapter 366(69): 34 shlokas
Chapter 367(70): 39 shlokas
Chapter 368(71): 34 shlokas
Chapter 369(72): 30 shlokas
Chapter 370(73): 28 shlokas
Chapter 371(74): 24 shlokas
Chapter 372(75): 27 shlokas
Chapter 373(76): 19 shlokas
Chapter 374(77): 29 shlokas
Chapter 375(78): 23 shlokas
Chapter 376(79): 29 shlokas

Indraloka
means Indra’s world and
abhigamana
means to go or visit. So this section is about the visit to Indra’s world, meaning Arjuna’s visit to Indra’s world.

Vaishampayana said, ‘O Indra among kings! After the lords of the worlds had left, Partha, the destroyer of enemies, thought about the chariot of the king of the gods. As the intelligent Gudakesha was thinking, the immensely resplendent chariot, driven by Matali, arrived. It removed the darkness from the sky and split the clouds. It filled the directions with a roar like that of giant clouds. It was stocked with swords, terrible spears, fearful-looking clubs, lances with divine power, giant flashes of lightning, vajras,
hudaguda
s with wheels,
¹
implements that created gusts of wind and sounded like peacocks and large clouds, and fearful nagas that were giant in form and tall as white clouds and hard as rocks. The divine chariot, beautiful to the eye and full of maya, was drawn by ten thousand tawny horses that had the speed of the wind. He
²
saw there the immensely radiant and extremely blue flag known as Vaijayanta, as dark as a blue lotus
³
and with a staff that was ornamented with gold. He saw the charioteer seated on the chariot, adorned in molten gold. On seeing him, the mighty-armed Partha took him to be a god.

‘While Phalguna was thus debating, Matali approached and bowing low, addressed Arjuna in these words, “O Shakra’s son!
⁴
The illustrious Shakra desires to see you. Swiftly ascend this chariot that has been sent by Indra. Your father Shatakratu, foremost among the gods, has told me, ‘The thirty gods must see Kunti’s son here in their abode.’ Surrounded by the gods and masses of rishis and gandharvas and apsaras, Shakra himself is anxiously waiting to see you. On the instructions of the chastiser of Paka, ascend with me from this world to the world of the gods. Once you have obtained the weapons, you will return.” Arjuna replied, “O Matali! Let us go swiftly. Ascend this supreme chariot that is difficult to obtain, even
through a hundred rajasuya and ashvamedha sacrifices. Even immensely fortunate kings, who have performed sacrifices and given a lot of dakshina, or
daivata
s
⁵
or danavas, cannot ascend this supreme chariot. He who has not performed austerities cannot see this great and divine chariot, or touch it. How can one ride it? O virtuous one! Once you have established yourself in the chariot and the horses have been steadied, I will ascend it thereafter, like a performer of good deeds along the righteous path.” Having heard these words, Matali, Shakra’s charioteer, swiftly ascended the chariot and controlled the horses with the reins. After that, Arjuna purified himself by bathing in the Ganga. Then Kounteya, descendant of the Kuru lineage,
⁶
happily recited his prayers, in accordance with the rites. In accordance with the rites, he offered oblations to the ancestors. Then he bid farewell to Mandara, king of the mountains. “O mountain! You are always the refuge of righteous ones, those whose conduct follows dharma, the sages whose deeds are holy and those who desire to traverse the road to heaven. O mountain! Through your favours, Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas attain heaven and devoid of afflictions, roam with the gods. O king of the mountains! O great mountain! You are the refuge of sages and have places of pilgrimage. I have lived happily on you. But I must now leave, bidding you farewell. My eyes have seen many of your peaks, groves, rivers, springs and sacred places of pilgrimage.” With these words, Arjuna, the destroyer of enemy warriors, bid farewell to the mountain. He then ascended the divine chariot, blazing like the sun. It resembled the sun in its form. It was divine and the performer of extraordinary deeds. In a delighted frame of mind, the intelligent descendant of the Kuru lineage
⁷
ascended upwards.

‘His path became invisible to mortal ones who roam on earth. He saw thousands of chariots that were extraordinary in form.
⁸
There
was no sun there, nor the moon, nor light, nor the fire. Everything shone there with the radiance of purity. Those are the brilliant regions that are seen in the forms of stars.
⁹
Though they are very large, because of the distance, they appear like lamps. Pandava saw them, full of radiance and beauty, resplendent in their own fires and established in their own abodes. There were rajarshis, siddhas, warriors slain on the field of battle, those who had obtained heaven through their austerities and had gathered in groups of hundreds, thousands of gandharvas with an energy like that of the radiant sun, guhyakas, rishis and masses of apsaras. On beholding those regions, with their own luminosity, Phalguna was astounded.

‘In a friendly tone, he asked Matali and Matali replied, “O Partha! These are the performers of good deeds. They are established in their own abodes. O lord! From the earth, you have seen them in the form of stars.” Then he saw, standing at the gate, the white elephant that is always victorious. This was the four-tusked Airavata, like Mount Kailasa. Travelling along the road traversed by the siddhas, the supreme one of the Kuru and Pandava lineages, shone, like the supreme king Mandhata in earlier times.
¹⁰
The lotus-eyed one passed through worlds earmarked for kings and then set his eyes on Amaravati, Shakra’s city.’

Vaishampayana said, ‘He saw the beautiful city, frequented by siddhas and charanas. It was full of sacred trees that flower in every season. A fragrant breeze, mixed with the perfumes of sacred trees, intermingled with the sacred-scented breeze and fanned him. He saw the divine grove of Nandana,
¹¹
frequented by masses of apsaras, and the celestial blossoming trees there welcomed him. This
world of sacred deeds cannot be seen by those who have not burnt themselves with austerities, or those who do not maintain fires,
¹²
or those who have refrained from battle, or those who do not perform sacrifices and follow falsehood, or those who have abandoned the sacred learning of the Vedas, or those who have not bathed in the sacred waters of tirthas, or those who have been outside
¹³
donating gifts at sacrifices. The evil-minded ones who disrupt sacrifices, are mean, are addicted to drinking, violate their preceptor’s bed,
¹⁴
or eat meat, can never see it. Having seen the divine grove, resounding with celestial songs, the mighty-armed one entered Shakra’s beloved city. He saw thousands of divine vimanas that were capable of going anywhere at will. They were stationed and he saw tens of thousands
¹⁵
of them moving around. Pandava was praised by gandharvas and apsaras and he was fanned by sacred winds, redolent with the scent of flowers. The gods, gandharvas, siddhas and supreme rishis happily welcomed Partha, whose deeds were untiring. He was blessed and praised, accompanied by the sound of divine instruments. The mighty-armed one advanced along the starry path famous as
suravithi
,
¹⁶
accompanied by the sound of conch-shells and drums. On Indra’s command, Partha travelled along it and was praised in every direction. The Sadhya, Vishvas,
¹⁷
Maruts, Ashvins, Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, unblemished brahmarshis, many rajarshis, the kings led by Dilipa,
¹⁸
Tumburu,
¹⁹
Narada and the gandharvas Haha and Huhu
²⁰
were there. The descendant of the Kuru lineage
²¹
showed homage to all of them in the appropriate manner.

‘Then the mighty-armed Partha descended from the supreme chariot and saw in person his father Shatakratu, the god Indra, the destroyer of enemies and the chastiser of Paka, the king of the gods. A beautiful white umbrella with a golden staff was held above his head. A divinely-scented fan was whisked. He was praised by Vishvavasu and the other gandharvas and foremost brahmanas chanted from the Rig, Yajur and Sama Vedas. Approaching near, the mighty Kounteya lowered his head and Shakra also embraced him with his round arms. He grasped him by the hand and made him sit on Shakra’s sacred throne, worshipped by the gods and the devarshis. When he was bowed in obeisance, Indra of the gods, the slayer of enemy warriors, smelt his forehead and made him sit on his lap. At the command of the god with the thousand eyes,
²²
Partha, whose soul was immeasurable, sat on Shakra’s throne and appeared like a second Vasava.
²³
Vritra’s enemy
²⁴
affectionately touched Arjuna’s handsome face with his sacred and fragrant hands and pacified him. He gently caressed his long arms, hardened by the string of the bow and as handsome as golden columns. The destroyer of Bala
²⁵
repeatedly caressed his arms with hands that were marked from holding the vajra. The one with a thousand eyes kept looking at Gudakesha with a smile. The eyes of Vritra’s destroyer dilated with delight and were not satisfied. Seated on the same seat, they made the assembly hall shine, like the sun and the moon rising in the sky on
chaturdashi
.
²⁶

‘Headed by Tumburu, gandharvas, skilled in songs and chants, sang and chanted there and engaged in supreme dancing. Ghritachi, Menaka, Rambha, Purvachitti, Svayamprabha, Urvashi, Mishrakeshi, Dundu, Gouri, Varuthini, Gopali, Sahajanya, Kumbhayoni, Prajagara, Chitrasena, Chitralekha, Saha, Madhurasvara—these and other beautiful lotus-eyed ones danced there. They were engaged in captivating
the minds of the siddhas. The sides of their hips were wide and their breasts bounced. They stole the mind and the intelligence with their side-long glances, gestures
²⁷
and sweetness.’

Vaishampayana said, ‘Then knowing Shakra’s mind, the gods and the gandharvas welcomed Partha with a supreme arghya. They offered the king’s son
²⁸
padya
²⁹
and
achamaniya
³⁰
and guided him to the entrance to Purandara’s abode. Having been shown such homage, Jishnu lived in his father’s house. Pandava learned about all the great weapons and the means of withdrawing them. From Shakra’s hands, he received his beloved vajra weapon, impossible to withstand. This made a great roar and was like lightning, marked by the signs of clouds and peacocks.
³¹
On receiving the weapon, Pandava Kounteya thought of his brothers. But on Purandara’s instructions, he lived there happily for five years. When Partha became skilled in the use of all weapons and the right time had come, Shakra told him, “O Kounteya! Now learn singing and dancing from Chitrasena. Learn the music that is only known to the gods and is unknown in the world of men. O Kounteya! If you learn this, it will bring your own welfare.” Purandara then gave him to Chitrasena as a friend. Partha lived happily with him, free from all disease.
³²

‘One day, while travelling around, maharshi Lomasha went to Shakra’s abode, with a desire to see Purandara. The great sage met and bowed in obeisance before the king of the gods. He saw Pandava seated on half of Vasava’s throne. Having obtained Shakra’s permission, the best of brahmanas, worshipped by all the maharshis, sat down on an excellent seat.
³³
On seeing Partha seated on Indra’s throne, the thought occurred to him.
³⁴
How could a kshatriya like Partha attain Shakra’s seat? What were his good deeds? What worlds had he won? How had he obtained a place worshipped by the gods? Shakra, the slayer of Vritra, divined his thoughts.

‘Shachi’s consort smilingly told Lomasha, “O brahmarshi! Hear about the thought that is passing through your mind. Though he has been born as a kshatriya, this one is not a mere mortal. O Maharshi! This mighty-armed one is my son, born from Kunti. He has come here for a specific reason, to obtain weapons. You have not recognized him as that ancient and supreme rishi. O brahmana! Listen to me. I will tell you who he is and his purpose. Know that those two supreme and ancient rishis, Nara and Narayana, are none other than Dhananjaya and Hrishikesha. O brahmana! The sacred and famous hermitage named Badari,
³⁵
which cannot be seen even by the gods and the great-souled rishis, was the place where Vishnu and Jishnu dwelt. Served by the siddhas and the charanas, that is the place from where the Ganga arises. O brahmarshi! On my instructions, these two immensely radiant ones have been born on earth. These two immensely valorous ones will remove the earth’s burden. There are the asuras known as the Nivatakavachas. Deluded by the boon they have obtained, they are engaged in causing us injury. Insolent because of their strength, they are now talking about killing the gods. Having
been granted the boon, they do not show regard for the gods. Those terrible and immensely strong sons of Danu live in the nether regions. All the armies of the gods together are incapable of fighting with them. O supreme among brahmanas! Vishnu, the illustrious slayer of Madhu, the unvanquished god Hari, whose illustrious divine part lived on earth as Kapila and with an instant glance destroyed the great-souled sons of Sagara
³⁶
who were digging towards
rasatala
, is alone capable of this great task that has to be accomplished for our sake. There is no doubt that he, together with Partha, will undertake this great battle. This one
³⁷
is equal to all of them. Having killed them in battle, the warrior will again return to the world of men. On my instructions, you should yourself return to earth. You will see the brave Yudhishthira dwelling in Kamyaka. He has dharma in his soul and is always devoted to truth. Convey my words and message to him. He should not be anxious on account of Phalguna. ‘He will soon return, after accomplishing the task of obtaining weapons. Without the sacred valour of his arms and without having obtained the weapons, he will not be able to withstand Bhishma, Drona and the others in battle. The mighty-armed and great-souled Gudakesha has obtained the weapons. He has become skilled in divine dancing, music and singing. O lord of men! O destroyer of enemies! You yourself, with all your brothers, should see all the venerated places of pilgrimage. O Indra among kings! Having bathed at these sacred places of pilgrimage, you will be cleansed of sin and overcome your fever.
³⁸
Bereft of sin, you will enjoy the kingdom.’
³⁹
O best of brahmanas! O foremost among brahmanas! You have the power of austerities. You should protect him as he travels the earth. Terrible rakshasas always live in the passes of mountains and in uneven regions. Always protect him from them.” Lomasha, great in austerities, promised accordingly. He then left for earth, towards Kamyaka forest. He met there Kounteya Dharmaraja, the destroyer of enemies, surrounded everywhere by ascetics and his brothers.’