SECTION –XXIV
(Arjunabhigamana Parva Continued)
Vaisampayana said, "After they had departed,
Yudhishthira the virtuous son of Kunti, unwavering in his promises, addressed
all his brothers, saying, 'We shall have to dwell in the solitary forest for
these twelve years. Search ye, therefore, in this mighty forest for some spot
abounding in birds and deer and flowers and fruits, beautiful to behold, and
auspicious, and inhabited by virtuous persons and where we may dwell pleasantly
for all these years!' Thus addressed by Yudhishthira, Dhananjaya replied unto
the son of Dharma, after reverencing the illustrious king as if he were his
spiritual preceptor. And Arjuna said, 'Thou hast respectfully waited upon all
the great and old Rishis. There is nothing unknown to thee in the world of men.
And O bull of the Bharata race, thou hast always waited with reverence upon
Brahmanas including Dwaipayana and others, and Narada of great ascetic merit,
who with senses under control, ever goeth to the gates of all the world from
the world of the gods unto that of Brahma, including that of the Gandharvas and
Apsaras! And thou knowest, without doubt, the opinions of the Brahmanas, and, O
king, their prowess also! And O monarch, thou knowest what is calculated to do
us good! And O great king, we will live wherever thou likest! Here is this
lake, full of sacred water, called Dwaitavana, abounding with flowers, and
delightful to look at, and inhabited by many species of birds. If, O king, it
pleaseth thee, here should we like to dwell these twelve years! Thinkest thou
otherwise?' Yudhishthira replied, 'O Partha, what thou hast said recommendeth
itself to me! Let us go that sacred and celebrated and large lake called
Dwaitavana!"
"Vaisampayana continued, "Then the
virtuous son of Pandu, accompanied by numerous Brahmanas, all went to the
sacred lake called Dwaitavana. And Yudhishthira was surrounded by numerous
Brahmanas some of whom sacrificed with fire and some without it and some of
whom, devoted to the study of the Vedas, lived upon alms or were of the class
called Vanaprasthas. And the king was also surrounded by hundreds of Mahatmas
crowned with ascetic success and of rigid vows. And those bulls of the Bharata
race, the sons of Pandu setting out with those numerous Brahmanas, entered the
sacred and delightful woods of Dwaita. And the king saw that mighty forest
covered on the close of summer with Salas, and palms, and mangoes, and
Madhukas, and Nipas and Kadamvas and Sarjjas and Arjunas, and Karnikars, many
of them covered with flowers. And flocks of peacocks and Datyuhas and Chakoras
and Varhins and Kokilas, seated on the tops of the tallest trees of that forest
were pouring forth their mellifluous notes. And the king also saw in that
forest mighty herds of gigantic elephants huge as the hills, with temporal
juice trickling down in the season of rut, accompanied by herds of
she-elephants. And approaching the beautiful Bhogavati (Saraswati), the king
saw many ascetics crowned with success in the habitations in that forest, and
virtuous men of sanctified souls clad in barks of trees and bearing matted
locks on their heads. And descending from their cars, the king that foremost of
virtuous men with his brothers and followers entered that forest like Indra of
immeasurable energy entering heaven. And crowds of Charanas and Siddhas,
desirous of beholding the monarch devoted to truth, came towards him. And the
dwellers of that forest stood surrounding that lion among king possessed of
great intelligence. And saluting all the Siddhas, and saluted by them in return
as a king or a god should be, that foremost of virtuous men entered the forest
with joined hands accompanied by all those foremost of regenerate ones. And the
illustrious and virtuous king, saluted in return by those virtuous ascetics
that had approached him, sat down in their midst at the foot of a mighty tree
decked with flowers, like his father (Pandu) in days before. And those chiefs
of the Bharata race viz., Bhima and Dhananjaya and the twins and Krishna and
their followers, all fatigued, leaving their vehicles, sat themselves down
around that best of kings. And that mighty tree bent down with the weight of
creepers, with those five illustrious bowmen who had come there for rest
sitting under it, looked like a mountain with (five) huge elephants resting on
its side."
.jpg)
){kind=link}
0 Comments
If you have any Misunderstanding Please let me know