Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 9.53
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9.53.1
कथं कुमारी भगवंस्तपोयुक्ता ह्यभूत्पुरा ।
किमर्थं च तपस्तेपे को वाऽस्या नियमोऽभवत् ॥ ९.५३.१ ॥
O venerable one, how was that maiden devoted to austerity in former times? For what purpose did she perform penance, and what was her vow?
9.53.2
सुदुष्करमिदं ब्रह्मंस्त्वत्तः श्रुतमनुत्तमम् ।
आख्याहि तत्त्वमखिलं यथा तपसि सा स्थिता ॥ ९.५३.२ ॥
O brahmin, I have heard from you this most difficult and supreme matter. Tell me the whole truth of how she remained steadfast in austerity.
9.53.3
ऋषिरासीन्महावीर्यः कुणिर्गार्ग्यो महायशाः ।
स तप्त्वा विपुलं राजंस्तपो वै तपतां वरः।
तपसाऽथ सुतां सुभ्रूं समुत्पादितवान्विभुः ॥ ९.५३.३ ॥
There was a sage named Kuṇi the Gārgya, of great valour and great fame. O king, best of ascetics, having performed vast austerity, the mighty one by his austerity brought forth a fair-browed daughter.
9.53.4
तां च दृष्ट्वा मुनिः प्रीतः कुणिर्गार्ग्यो महायशाः ।
जगाम त्रिदिवं राजन्संत्यज्येह कलेवरम् ॥ ९.५३.४ ॥
Seeing her, the sage Kuṇi the Gārgya, of great fame, was pleased. O king, he abandoned his body here and went to heaven.
9.53.5
सुभ्रूः सा ह्यथ कल्याणी पुण्डरीकनिभेक्षणा ।
महता तपसोग्रेण कृत्वाश्रममनिन्दिता ॥ ९.५३.५ ॥
That fair-browed, auspicious, lotus-eyed and blameless maiden, through a great and fierce austerity, made for herself a hermitage.
9.53.6
उपवासैः पूजयन्ती पितॄन्देवांश्च सा पुरा ।
तस्यास्तु तपसोग्रेण महान्कालोऽत्यगान्नृप ॥ ९.५३.६ ॥
Formerly she worshipped the ancestors and the gods by fasting. O king, a long time passed in her fierce austerity.
9.53.7
सा पित्रा दीयमानापि पतिं नैच्छदनिन्दिता ।
आत्मनः सदृशं सा तु भर्तारं नान्वपश्यत ॥ ९.५३.७ ॥
Though her father offered her, the blameless maiden did not desire a husband; she did not find a husband suitable to herself.
9.53.8
ततः सा तपसोग्रेण पीडयित्वाऽऽत्मनस्तनुम् ।
पितृदेवार्चनरता बभूव विजने वने ॥ ९.५३.८ ॥
Then, afflicting her own body with fierce austerity, devoted to worshipping the ancestors and the gods, she came to dwell in a lonely forest.
9.53.9
साऽऽत्मानं मन्यमाना तु कृतकृत्यं श्रमान्विता ।
जगाम वृद्धभावं तु कौमारब्रह्मचारिणी ॥ ९.५३.९ ॥
Thinking herself to have accomplished her aim, weary, she who had been a celibate since girlhood came to old age.
9.53.10
वार्धकेन च राजेन्द्र तपसा चैव कर्शिता ।
सा नाशकद्यदा गन्तुं पदात्पदमपि स्वयम् ॥ ९.५३.१० ॥
O lord of kings, emaciated by old age and by austerity, she herself could not manage to go even one step after another.
9.53.11
चकार गमने बुद्धिं परलोकाय वै तदा ।
मोक्तुकामां तु तां दृष्ट्वा शरीरं नारदोऽब्रवीत् ॥ ९.५३.११ ॥
Then she resolved to go to the other world. Seeing her, wishing to release her body, Nārada spoke.
9.53.12
असंस्कृतायाः कन्यायाः कुतो लोकास्तवानघे ।
एवं तु श्रुतमस्माभिर्देवलोके महाव्रते ॥ ९.५३.१२ ॥
O faultless one, how shall there be worlds for you, a maiden who has not been consecrated? O one of great vows, thus have we heard it in the heaven of the gods.
9.53.13
तपः परमकं प्राप्तं न तु लोकास्त्वया जिताः ।
तन्नारदवचः श्रुत्वा साऽब्रवीदृषिसंसदि ॥ ९.५३.१३ ॥
You have attained supreme asceticism, but you have not conquered the worlds. Having heard Nārada's words, she spoke in the assembly of sages.
9.53.14
तपसोऽर्धं प्रयच्छामि पाणिग्राहस्य सत्तमाः ।
इत्युक्तेऽस्यास्तु जग्राह पाणिं गालवसम्भवः ॥ ९.५३.१४ ॥
Good sirs, I shall give half of my asceticism to the one who takes my hand. When she had said this, the one born of Gālava's line took her hand.
9.53.15
ऋषिः प्राक् शृङ्गवान्नाम समयं चेममब्रवीत् ।
समयेन तवाद्याहं पाणिं स्प्रक्ष्यामि शोभने ॥ ९.५३.१५ ॥
Formerly the sage named Śṛṅgavān stated this condition: 'O radiant one, by that condition I shall today touch your hand.'
9.53.16
यद्येकरात्रं वस्तव्यं त्वया सह मयेति ह ।
तथेति सा प्रतिश्रुत्य तस्मै पाणिं ददौ तदा ॥ ९.५३.१६ ॥
'If you must stay one night with me.' Having agreed, saying 'So be it,' she then gave him her hand.
9.53.17
यथादृष्टेन विधिना हुत्वा चाग्निं विधानतः ।
चक्रे च पाणिग्रहणं तस्योद्वाहं च गालविः ॥ ९.५३.१७ ॥
According to the rite as prescribed, having offered oblations into the fire in due manner, Gālava performed the taking of her hand and her wedding.
9.53.18
सा रात्रावभवद्राजंस्तरुणी वरवर्णिनी ।
दिव्याभरणवस्त्रा च दिव्यगन्धानुलेपना ॥ ९.५३.१८ ॥
O king, at night she became a young woman of excellent complexion, adorned with divine ornaments and garments, and anointed with divine fragrances.
9.53.19
तां दृष्ट्वा गालविः प्रीतो दीपयन्तीमिव श्रिया ।
उवास च क्षपामेकां प्रभाते साऽब्रवीच्च तम् ॥ ९.५३.१९ ॥
Seeing her, Gālava was pleased; she seemed to light up the place with her beauty. He stayed one night there, and at dawn she spoke to him.
9.53.20
यस्त्वया समयो विप्र कृतो मे तपतां वर ।
तेनोषिताऽस्मि भद्रं ते स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु व्रजाम्यहम् ॥ ९.५३.२० ॥
O brahmin, best of ascetics, by the agreement you made with me I have stayed here. May good fortune be yours, may well-being be yours; now I am going.
9.53.21
सा तु ध्यात्वाऽब्रवीद्भूयो योऽस्मिंस्तीर्थे समाहितः ।
वसते रजनीमेकां तर्पयित्वा दिवौकसः ॥ ९.५३.२१ ॥
Then she reflected and spoke again: whoever dwells one night at this sacred place, composed in mind, having satisfied the gods...
9.53.22
चत्वारिंशतमष्टौ च द्वौ चाष्टौ सम्यगाचरेत् ।
यो ब्रह्मचर्यं वर्षाणि फलं तस्य लभेत सः ॥ ९.५३.२२ ॥
Whoever rightly practises celibate discipline for forty-eight, two and eight years shall obtain its fruit.
9.53.23
एवमुक्त्वा ततः साध्वी देहं त्यक्त्वा दिवं गता ।
ऋषिरप्यभवद्दीनस्तस्या रूपं विचिन्तयन् ॥ ९.५३.२३ ॥
Having spoken thus, the virtuous woman abandoned her body and went to heaven. The sage too became downcast, dwelling on her beauty.
9.53.24
समयेन तपोऽर्धं च कृच्छ्रात्प्रतिगृहीतवान् ।
साधयित्वा तदाऽऽत्मानं तस्याः स गतिमाप्तवान्।
दुःखितो भरतश्रेष्ठ तस्या रूपबलात्कृतः ॥ ९.५३.२४ ॥
By the agreement, he had with difficulty accepted half of his austerity. Then, having accomplished himself, he attained her goal. Grieved, O best of the Bharatas, he was overcome by the power of her beauty.
9.53.25
एतत्ते वृद्वकन्याया व्याख्यातं चरितं महत् ।
तथैव ब्रह्मचर्यं च स्वर्गस्य च गतिः शुभा ॥ ९.५३.२५ ॥
Thus has the great story of the old maiden been related to you, and likewise the celibate discipline and the auspicious attainment of heaven.
9.53.26
तत्रस्थश्चापि शुश्राव हतं शल्यं हलायुधः ॥ ९.५३.२६ ॥
Halāyudha, who was staying there, also heard that Śalya had been slain.
9.53.27
तत्रापि दत्त्वा दानानि द्विजातिभ्यः परन्तपः ।
शुशोच शल्यं सङ्ग्रामे निहतं पाण्डवैस्तदा ॥ ९.५३.२७ ॥
There too, having given gifts to the twice-born, the scorcher of foes mourned Śalya, slain in battle by the Pāṇḍavas.
9.53.28
समन्तपञ्चकद्वारात्ततो निष्क्रम्य माधवः ।
पप्रच्छर्षिगणारामः कुरुक्षेत्रस्य यत्फलम् ॥ ९.५३.२८ ॥
Going out from the gate of Samantapañcaka, Mādhava, who delights in the assemblies of sages, asked what the fruit of Kurukṣetra was.
9.53.29
ते पृष्टा यदुसिंहेन कुरुक्षेत्रफलं विभो ।
समाचख्युर्महात्मानस्तस्मै सर्वं यथातथम् ॥ ९.५३.२९ ॥
O mighty one, asked by the lion of the Yadus, those great-souled ones related to him the entire fruit of Kurukṣetra, exactly as it is.