Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 12.127
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12.127.1
ततस्तेषां समेतानामृषीणामृषिसत्तमः ।
ऋषभो नाम विप्रर्षिर्विस्मयन्निदमब्रवीत् ॥ १२.१२७.१ ॥
Then Ṛṣabha, a brahmin sage and the best of the sages gathered there, spoke this in wonder.
12.127.2
पुराऽहं राजशार्दूल तीर्थान्यनुचरन्प्रभो ।
समासादितवान्दिव्यं नरनारायणाश्रमम् ॥ १२.१२७.२ ॥
Long ago, O tiger among kings, O lord, while wandering among the holy fords, I reached the divine hermitage of Nara and Nārāyaṇa.
12.127.3
यत्र सा बदरी रम्या सरो वैहायसं तथा ।
यत्र चाश्वशिरा राजन्वेदान्पठति शाश्वतान् ॥ १२.१२७.३ ॥
There is the lovely Badarī grove and the Vaihāyasa lake, and there, O king, Aśvaśiras recites the eternal Vedas.
12.127.4
तस्मिन्सरसि कृत्वाऽहं विधिवत्तर्पणं पुरा ।
पितृणां देवतानां च ततोश्रममियां तदा ॥ १२.१२७.४ ॥
Having duly made libations to the ancestors and gods in that lake long ago, I then went on to the hermitage.
12.127.5
रमाते यत्र तौ नित्यं नरनारायणावृषी ।
अदूरादाश्रमात्किंचिद्वासार्थमगमं तदा ॥ १२.१२७.५ ॥
Not far from the hermitage where the two sages Nara and Nārāyaṇa ever delight, I then went somewhat away to lodge.
12.127.6
अत्र चीराजिनधरं कृशमुच्चमतीव च ।
अद्राक्षमृषिमायान्तं तनुं नाम तपोनिधिम् ॥ १२.१२७.६ ॥
Here I saw a sage coming, clad in bark and deerskin, very thin and tall, named Tanu, a treasure-house of austerity.
12.127.7
अन्यैर्नरैर्महाबाहो वपुषाऽप्रतिमं तदा ।
कृशता चापि राजर्षे न दृष्टा तादृशी मया ॥ १२.१२७.७ ॥
O mighty-armed one, at that time I had never seen such incomparable emaciation of body in other men, O royal sage.
12.127.8
शरीरमपि राजेन्द्र तनु कानिष्ठिकासमम् ।
ग्रीवा बाहू तथा पादौ केशाश्चाद्भुतदर्शनाः ॥ १२.१२७.८ ॥
O lord of kings, his body too was thin as the little finger; his neck, arms, feet and hair were wondrous to behold.
12.127.9
शिरः कायानुरूपं च कर्णौ नेत्रे तथैव च ।
तस्य वाक्चैव चेष्टा च सामान्ये राजसत्तम ॥ १२.१२७.९ ॥
His head was in proportion to his body, and likewise his ears and eyes; his speech and movements were ordinary, O best of kings.
12.127.10
दृष्ट्वाऽहं तं कृशं विप्रं भीतः परमदुर्मनाः ।
पादौ तस्याभिवाद्याथ स्थितः प्राञ्जलिरग्रतः ॥ १२.१२७.१० ॥
Seeing that emaciated brahmin, I was frightened and deeply troubled in mind; having greeted his feet with respect, I stood before him with folded palms.
12.127.11
निवेद्य नामगोत्रे च तथा कार्यं नरर्षभ ।
प्रदिष्टे चासने तेन शनैरहमुपाविशम् ॥ १२.१२७.११ ॥
Having announced my name and lineage, and likewise stated my business, O bull among men; when he offered a seat, I slowly sat down.
12.127.12
ततः स कथयामास धर्मार्थसहिताः कथाः ।
ऋषिमध्ये महाराज तत्र धर्मभृतां वरः ॥ १२.१२७.१२ ॥
Then he, the best of those who uphold dharma, began to recount tales full of dharma and wealth among the sages there, O great king.
12.127.13
त…स्तु कथयत्येव राजा राजीवलोचनः ।
उपयाज्जवनैरश्वैः सबलः सावरोधनः ॥ १२.१२७.१३ ॥
…the lotus-eyed king speaks. He set out with swift horses, with his army and his women's quarters.
12.127.14
स्मरम्पुत्रमरण्ये वै नष्टं परमदुर्मनाः ।
भूविद्युम्नपिता श्रीमान्वीरद्युम्नो महायशाः ॥ १२.१२७.१४ ॥
Remembering his son lost in the forest, he was deeply grieved: Vīradyumna, father of Bhūvidyumna, glorious and of great fame.
12.127.15
इह द्रक्ष्यामि तं पुत्रं द्रक्ष्यामीहेति भारत ।
एवमाशाकृशो राजा चरन्वनमिदं पुरा ॥ १२.१२७.१५ ॥
'Here I shall see that son, here I shall see him,' O Bhārata. Thus the king, worn down by hope, wandered through this forest in the past.
12.127.16
दुर्लभः स मया द्रष्टुं भूय एव च धार्मिक ।
एकः पुत्रो महारण्ये नष्ट इत्यसकृत्तदा ॥ १२.१२७.१६ ॥
'It is hard for me to see him again, O righteous one. My only son was lost in the great forest,' so he repeatedly said at that time.
12.127.17
न स शक्यो मया द्रष्टुमाशा च महती मम ।
तया परीतगात्रोऽहं मुमूर्षुर्नात्र संशयः ॥ १२.१२७.१७ ॥
'It is not possible for me to see him, and my hope is great. My body, enveloped by it, desires to die; there is no doubt of this.'
12.127.18
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु भगवांस्तनुर्मुनिवरोत्तमः ।
अवाक्शिरा ध्यानपरो मुहूर्तमिव तस्थिवान् ॥ १२.१२७.१८ ॥
Having heard this, the blessed Tanu, best of excellent sages, head bowed, intent on meditation, stood as if still for a moment.
12.127.19
तमनुध्यान्तमालक्ष्य राजा परमदुर्मनाः ।
उवाच वाक्यं दीनात्मा मन्दमन्दमिवासकृत् ॥ १२.१२७.१९ ॥
Seeing him absorbed in thought, the king, greatly troubled in mind and with a downcast spirit, spoke these words slowly, again and again.
12.127.20
दुर्लभं किंनु देवर्षे आशायाश्चैव किं महत् ।
ब्रवीतु भगवानेतद्यदि गुह्यं न चेत्तदा ॥ १२.१२७.२० ॥
O divine sage, what is hard to obtain, and what is greater than hope? Let the venerable one tell this, if it is not a secret.
12.127.21
महर्षिर्भगवांस्तेन पूर्वमासीद्विमानितः ।
बालिशां बुद्धिमास्थाय मन्दभाग्यतयाऽऽत्मनः।
अर्थयन्कुशलं राजन्काञ्चनं वल्कलानि च ॥ १२.१२७.२१ ॥
Formerly, he had dishonoured that venerable great sage. O king, through his own ill fortune, adopting a foolish intellect, he was seeking welfare, gold and bark garments.
12.127.22
अवज्ञापूर्वकेनापि न संपादितवांस्ततः ।
निर्विण्णः स तु विप्रर्षिर्निराशः समपद्यत ॥ १२.१२७.२२ ॥
Even though done with contempt, he did not accomplish it. Then that sage among brahmins grew weary and became hopeless.
12.127.23
एवमुक्तोऽभिवाद्याथ तमृषिं लोकपूजितम् ।
श्रान्तोऽवसीदद्धर्मात्मा यथा त्वं नरसत्तम ॥ १२.१२७.२३ ॥
Thus addressed, he saluted that sage honoured by the worlds; then, weary, the righteous-souled one sank down, O best of men, as you are now.
12.127.24
अर्ध्यं ततः समानीय पाद्यं चैव महायशाः ।
आरण्येनैव विधिना राज्ञे सर्वं न्यवेदयत् ॥ १२.१२७.२४ ॥
Then the one of great fame, bringing the offering of honour and water for the feet, reported everything to the king according to the forest rite.
12.127.25
ततस्तमृषयः सर्वे परिवार्य नरर्षभम् ।
उपाविशन्पुरस्कृत्य सप्तर्षय इव ध्रुवम् ॥ १२.१२७.२५ ॥
Then all the sages, surrounding that bull among men, sat down with him placed before them, like the seven sages seated around the fixed pole star.
12.127.26
अपृच्छंश्चैव तत्रैनं राजानमपराजितम् ।
प्रयोजनमिदं सर्वमाश्रमस्य प्रवेशने ॥ १२.१२७.२६ ॥
There they asked that unconquered king the full purpose of his entering the hermitage.