SECTION –CLVII
(Tirtha-yatra Parva Continued)
Vaisampayana continued, "On that Rakshasa
having been slain, that lord, the royal son of Kunti, returned to the hermitage
of Narayana and began to dwell there. And once on a time, remembering his
brother
Jaya (Arjuna), Yudhishthira summoned all his
brothers, together with Draupadi and said these words, 'We have passed these
four years peacefully ranging the woods. It hath been appointed by Vibhatsu
that about the fifth year he will come to that monarch of mountains, the
excellent cliff Sweta, ever graced with festivities held by blooming plants and
maddened Kokilas and black bees, and peacocks, and chatakas and inhabited by
tigers, and boars and buffaloes, and gavayas, and deer, and ferocious beasts;
and sacred; and lovely with blown lotuses of a hundred and a thousand petals,
and blooming lilies and blue lilies and frequented by the celestials and the
Asuras. And we also, eagerly anxious of meeting him on his arrival have made up
our minds to repair thither. Partha of unrivalled prowess hath appointed with
me, saying, 'I shall remain abroad for five years, with the object of learning
military science.' In the place like unto the region of the gods, shall we
behold the wielder of Gandiva, arrive after having obtained the weapons.'
Having said this, the Pandava summoned the Brahmanas, and the sons of Pritha
having gone round the ascetics of rigid austerities and thereby pleased them,
informed them of the matter mentioned above. Thereupon the Brahmanas gave their
assent, saying, 'This shall be attended by prosperity and welfare. O foremost
of the Bharatas, these troubles shall result in happiness. O pious one, gaining
the earth by the Kshatriya virtue, thou shall govern it.' Then in obedience to
these words of the ascetics, that represser of foes, Yudhishthira, set out with
his brothers and those Brahmanas, followed by the Rakshasa and protected by
Lomasa. And that one of mighty energy, and of staunch vows, with his brothers,
at places went on foot and at others were carried by the Rakshasas. Then king
Yudhishthira, apprehending many troubles, proceeded towards the north abounding
in lions and tigers and elephants. And beholding on the way the mountain
Mainaka and the base of the Gandhamadana and that rocky mass Sweta and many a
crystal rivulet higher and higher up the mountain, he reached on the
seventeenth day the sacred slopes of the Himalayas. And, O king, not far from
the Gandhamadana, Pandu's son beheld on the sacred slopes of the Himavan
covered with various trees and creepers the holy hermitage of Vrishaparva
surrounded by blossoming trees growing near the cascades. And when those
repressers of foes, the sons of Pandu, had recovered from fatigue, they went to
the royal sage, the pious Vrishaparva and greeted him. And that royal sage
received with affection those foremost of Bharatas, even as his own sons. And
those repressers of foes passed there seven nights, duly regarded. And when the
eighth day came, taking the permission of that sage celebrated over the worlds,
they prepared to start on their journey. And having one by one introduced unto
Vrishaparva those Brahmanas, who, duly honoured, remained in his charge as
friends; and having also entrusted the highsouled Vrishaparva with their
remaining robes, the sons of Pandu, O king, left in the hermitage of
Vrishaparva their sacrificial vessels together with their ornaments and jewels.
And wise and pious and versed in every duty and having a knowledge of the past
as well as the future, that one gave instructions unto those best of the
Bharatas, as unto his own sons. Then taking his permission those high-souled
ones set out towards the north. And as they set out the magnanimous Vrishaparva
followed them to a certain distance. Then having entrusted the Pandavas unto
the care of the Brahmanas and instructed and blessed them and given directions
concerning their course, Vrishaparva of mighty energy retraced his steps.
"Then Kunti's son, Yudhishthira of unfailing
prowess, together with his brothers, began to proceed on foot along the
mountain path, inhabited by various kinds of beasts. And having dwelt at the
mountain slopes, densely overgrown with trees, Pandu's son on the fourth day
reached the Sweta mountain, like unto a mighty mass of clouds, abounding in
streams and consisting of a mass of gold and gems. And taking the way directed
by Vrishaparva, they reached one by one the intended places, beholding various
mountains. And over and over they passed with ease many inaccessible rocks and
exceedingly impassable caves of the mountain. And Dhaumya and Krishna and the
Parthas and the mighty sage Lomasa went on in a body and none grew tired. And
those highly fortunate ones arrived at the sacred and mighty mountain
resounding with the cries of birds and beasts and covered with various trees
and creepers and inhabited by monkeys, and romantic and furnished with many
lotus-lakes and having marshes and extensive forests. And then with their down
standing erect, they saw the mountain Gandhamadana, the abode of Kimpurushas,
frequented by Siddhas and Charanas and ranged by Vidyadharis and Kinnaris and
inhabited by herds of elephants and thronged with lions and tigers and
resounding with the roars of Sarabhas and attended by various beasts. And the
war-like sons of Pandu gradually entered into the forest of the Gandhamadana,
like unto the Nandana gardens, delightful to the mind and heart and worthy of
being inhabited and having beautiful groves. And as those heroes entered with
Draupadi and the high-souled Brahmanas, they heard notes uttered by the mouths
of birds, exceedingly sweet and graceful to the ear and causing delight and
dulcet and broken by reason of excess of animal spirits. And they saw various
trees bending under the weight of fruits in all seasons, and ever bright with
flowers--such as mangoes and hog-plums and bhavyas and pomegranates, citrons
and jacks and lakuchas and plantains and aquatic reeds and parvatas and
champakas and lovely kadamvas and vilwas, wood-apples and rose-apples and
kasmaris and jujbes and figs and glomerous figs and banians and aswatthas and
khirikas and bhall atakas and amalkas and bibhitakas and ingudas and karamardas
and tindukas of large fruits--these and many others on the slopes of the
Gandhamadana, clustered with sweet and nectarine fruits. And besides these,
they beheld champakas and asokas and ketakas and vakulas and punnagas and
saptaparnas and karnikaras, and patals, and beautiful kutajas and mandaras, and
lotuses, and parijatas, and kovidaras and devadarus, and salas, and palmyra
palms, and tamalas, and pippalas, and salmalis and kinsukas, and singsapas, and
saralas and these were inhabited by Chakoras, and wood-peckers and chatakas,
and various other birds, singing in sweet tones pleasing to the ear. And they
saw lakes beautiful on all sides with aquatic birds, and covered all around
with kumudas, and pundarikas, and kokanadas, and utpalas, and kalharas, and
kamalas and thronged on all sides with drakes and ruddy geese, and ospreys, and
gulls and karandavas, and plavas, and swans, and cranes, and shags, and other aquatic
birds. And those foremost of men saw those lotus-lakes beautified with
assemblages of lotuses, and ringing with the sweet hum of bees, glad, and
drowsy on account of having drunk the intoxicating honey of lotuses, and
reddened with the farina falling from the lotuscups. And in the groves they
beheld with their hens peacocks maddened with desire caused by the notes of
cloud-trumpets; and those woods-loving glad peacocks drowsy with desire, were
dancing, spreading in dalliance their gorgeous tails, and were crying in
melodious notes. And some of the peacocks were sporting with their mates on
kutaja trees covered with creepers. And some sat on the boughs of the kutajas,
spreading their gorgeous tails, and looking like crowns worn by the trees. And
in the glades they beheld the graceful sindhuvaras like unto the darts of
Cupid. And on the summits of the mountain, they saw blooming karnikaras bearing
blossoms of a golden hue, appearing like ear-rings of excellent make. And in
the forest they saw blossoming kuruvakas, like unto the shafts of Cupid, which
smiteth one with desire and maketh him uneasy. And they saw tilakas appearing
like unto beauty-spots painted on the forehead of the forest. And they saw
mango trees graced with blossoms hummed over by black bees, and serving the
purpose of Cupid's shafts. And on the slopes of the mountain there were diverse
blossoming trees, looking lovely, some bearing flowers of a golden hue, and
some, of the hue of the forest-conflagration, and some, red and some sable, and
some green like unto lapises. And besides these, there were ranges of salas and
tamalas and patalas and vakula trees, like unto garlands put on by the summits
of mountain. Thus gradually beholding on the slopes of the mountain many lakes,
looking transparent like crystal, and having swans of white plumage and
resounding with cries of cranes, and filled with lotuses and lilies, and
furnished with waters of delicious feel; and also beholding fragrant flowers,
and luscious fruits, and romantic lakes, and captivating trees, the Pandavas
penetrated into the forest with eyes expanded with wonder. And (as they
proceeded) they were fanned by the breeze of balmy feel, and perfumed by
kamalas and utpalas and kalharas and pundarikas. Then Yudhishthira pleasantly
spake unto Bhima saying, 'Ah! O Bhima, beautiful is this forest of the
Gandhamadana. In this romantic forest there are various heavenly blossoming
wild trees and creepers, bedecked with foliage and fruit, nor are there any
trees that do not flower. On these slopes of the Gandhamadana, all the trees
are of sleek foliage and fruit. And behold how these lotus-lakes with fullblown
lotuses, and ringing with the hum of black bees, are being agitated by
elephants with their mates. Behold another lotus-lake girt with lines of
lotuses, like unto a second Sree in an embodied form wearing garlands. And in
this excellent forest there are beautiful ranges of woods, rich with the aroma
of various blossoms, and hummed over by the black bees. And, O Bhima, behold on
all sides the excellent sporting ground of the celestials. By coming here, we
have attained extra-human state, and been blessed. O Partha, on these slopes of
the Gandhamadana, yon beautiful blossoming trees, being embraced by creepers
with blossoms at their tops, look lovely. And, O Bhima, hark unto the notes of
the peacocks crying with their hens on the mountain slopes. And birds such as
chakoras, and satapatras, and maddened kokilas, and parrots, are alighting on
these excellent flowering trees. And sitting on the twigs, myriads of
jivajivakas of scarlet, yellow and red hues, are looking at one another. And
the cranes are seen near the spots covered with green and reddish grass, and
also by the side of the cascades. And those birds, bhringarajas, and upachakras,
and herons are pouring forth their notes charming to all creatures. And, lo!
with their mates, these elephants furnished with four tusks, and white as
lotuses, are agitating that large lake of the hue of lapises. And from many
cascades, torrents high as several palmyra palms (placed one upon another) are
rushing down from the cliffs. And many argent minerals splendid, and of the
effulgence of the sun, and like unto autumnal clouds, are beautifying this
mighty mountain. And in some places there are minerals of the hue of the
collyrium, and in some those like unto gold, in some, yellow orpiment and in
some, vermilion, and in some, caves of red arsenic like unto the evening clouds
and in some, red chalk of the hue of the rabit, and in some, minerals like unto
white and sable clouds; and in some, those effulgent as the rising sun, these
minerals of great lustre beautify the mountain. O Partha, as was said by
Vrishaparva, the Gandharvas and the Kimpurushas, in company with their loves,
are visible on the summits of the mountain. And, O Bhima, there are heard
various songs of appropriate measures, and also Vedic hymns, charming to all
creatures. Do thou behold the sacred and graceful celestial river Mahaganga,
with swans, resorted to by sages and Kinnaras. And, O represser of foes, see
this mountain having minerals, rivulets, and beautiful woods and beasts, and
snakes of diverse shapes and a hundred heads and Kinnaras, Gandharvas and
Apsaras.'"
Vaisampayana said, "Having attained
excellent state, those valiant and warlike repressers of foes with Draupadi and
the high-souled Brahmanas were exceedingly delighted at heart, and they were
not satiated by beholding that monarch of mountains. Thereafter they saw the
hermitage of the royal sage Arshtishena, furnished with flowers and trees
bearing fruits. Then they went to Arshtishena versed in all duties of rigid
austerities, skeleton-like, and having muscles bare."
 ){kind=link}
0 Comments
If you have any Misunderstanding Please let me know