SECTION –CXLIV
(Tirtha-yatra Parva Continued)
"Yudhishthira said, 'O Bhima, let this
mighty and heroic Rakshasa chief, thy legitimate son, devoted to us, and
truthful, and conversant with virtue carry (his) mother (Draupadi) without
delay. And, O possessor of dreadful prowess, depending on the strength of thy
arms, I shall reach the Gandhamadana, unhurt, together with Panchala's
daughter.'"
Vaisampayana said, "Hearing the words of his
brother, that tiger among men, Bhimasena, commanded his son, Ghatotkacha,
represser of foes, saying, 'O invincible son of Hidimva, this thy mother hath
been sorely tired. Thou art, again, strong and capable of going wherever thou
likest. Do thou therefore, O ranger of the skies, carry her. May prosperity
attend thee! Taking her on thy shoulders, thou shalt go in our company,
adopting a course not far overhead,--so that thou mayst not render her uneasy.'
Thereat, Ghatotkacha said, 'Even single-handed, I am able to carry Yudhishthira
the just, and Dhaumya, and Krishna, and the twins--and what wonder then that I
shall to-day carry them, when I have others to assist me? And, O sinless one,
hundreds of other heroic (Rakshasas), capable of moving through the sky, and of
assuming any shape at will, will together carry you all with the
Brahmanas."
Vaisampayana said, "Saying this, Ghatotkacha
carried Krishna in the midst of the Pandavas, and the other (Rakshasas) also
began to carry the Pandavas. And by virtue of his native energy, Lomasa of
incomparable effulgence moved along the path of the Siddhas, like unto a second
sun. And at the command of the lord of the Rakshasas, those Rakshasas of
terrific prowess began to proceed, bearing all the other Brahmanas, and
beholding many a romantic wood. And they proceeded towards the gigantic jujube
tree. And carried by the Rakshasas of great speed, proceeding at a rapid pace,
the heroes passed over longextending ways quickly, as if over short ones. And
on their way they saw various tracts crowded with Mlechchha people, and
containing mines of diverse gems. And they also saw hillocks teeming with
various minerals, thronged with Vidyadharas, inhabited on all sides by monkeys
and Kinnaras and Kimpurushas, and Gandharvas, and filled with peacocks, and chamaras,
and apes, and rurus, and bears, and gavayas, and buffaloes, intersected with a
network of rivulets, and inhabited by various birds and beasts, and beautified
by elephants, and abounding in trees and enraptured birds. After having thus
passed many countries, and also the Uttarakurus, they saw that foremost of
mountains, the Kailasa, containing many wonders. And by the side of it, they
beheld the hermitage of Nara and Narayana, with celestial trees bearing flowers
and fruits in all seasons. And they also beheld that beautiful jujube of round
trunk. And it was fresh; and of deep shade; and of excellent beauty; and of
thick, soft and sleek foliage; and healthful; and having gigantic boughs; and
wide-spreading; and of incomparable lustre; and bearing full-grown, tasteful,
and holy fruits dropping honey. And this celestial tree was frequented by hosts
of mighty sages, and was always inhabited by various birds maddened with animal
spirits. And it grew at a spot devoid of mosquitoes and gad-flies, and abounding
in fruits and roots and water, and covered with green grass, and inhabited by
the celestials and the Gandharvas, and of smooth surface, and naturally
healthful, and beauteous and cool and of delicate feel. Having reached that
(tree) together with those bulls among Brahmanas, the high-souled ones gently
alighted from the shoulders of the Rakshasas. Then in company with those bulls
among the twice-born ones, the Pandavas beheld that romantic asylum presided
over by Nara and Narayana; devoid of gloom; and sacred; and untouched by the
solar rays; and free from those rubs, viz. hunger, and thirst, heat and cold,
and removing (all) sorrow; and crowded with hosts of mighty sages; and adorned
with the grace proceeding from the Vedas, Saman, Rich, and Yajus; and, O king,
inaccessible to men who have renounced religion; and beautified with offerings,
and homas; and sacred; and well-swept and daubed; and shining all around with
offerings of celestial blossoms; and spread over with altars of sacrificial
fire, and sacred ladles and pots; and graced with large water-jars, and baskets
and the refuge of all beings; and echoing with the chanting of the Vedas; and
heavenly: and worthy of being inhabited; and removing fatigue; and attended
with splendour and of incomprehensible merit; and majestic with divine
qualities. And the hermitage was inhabited by hosts of great sages, subsisting
on fruits and roots; and having their senses under perfect control; and clad in
black deer-skins; and effulgent like unto the Sun and Agni; and of souls
magnified by asceticism and intent on emancipation; and leading the Vanaprastha
mode of life; and of subdued senses; and identified with the Supreme Soul; and
of high fortune; and reciting Vaidic hymns. Then having purified himself and restrained
his senses, that son of Dharma, the intelligent Yudhishthira of exceeding
energy, accompanied by his brothers, approached those sages. And all the great
sages endued with supernatural knowledge, knowing Yudhishthira arrived,
received him joyfully. And those sages engaged in the recitation of the Vedas,
and like unto fire itself, after having conferred blessings on Yudhishthira,
cheerfully accorded him fitting reception. And they gave him clean water and
flowers and roots. And Yudhishthira the just received with regard the things
gladly offered for his reception by the great sages. And then, O sinless one,
Pandu's son together with Krishna and his brothers, and thousands of Brahmanas
versed in the Vedas and the Vendangas, entered into that holy hermitage, like
unto the abode of Sukra and pleasing the mind with heavenly odours and
resembling heaven itself and attended with beauty. There the pious
(Yudhishthira) beheld the hermitage of Nara and Narayana, beautified by the
Bhagirathi and worshipped by the gods and the celestial sages. And seeing that
hermitage inhabited by the Brahmarshis and containing fruits dropping honey,
the Pandavas were filled with delight. And having reached that place, the
high-souled ones began to dwell with the Brahmanas. There beholding the holy
lake Vinda, and the mountain Mainaka, of golden summits and inhabited by
various species of birds, the magnanimous ones lived happily with joy. The son
of Pandu together with Krishna took pleasure in ranging excellent and
captivating woods, shining with flowers of every season; beauteous on all sides
with trees bearing blown blossoms; and bending down with the weight of fruits
and attended by the numerous male kokilas and of glossy foliage; and thick and
having cool shade and lovely to behold. They took delight in beholding diverse
beautiful lakes of limpid water and shining all round with lotuses and lilies.
And there, O lord, the balmy breeze bearing pure fragrance, blew gladdening all
the Pandavas, together with Krishna. And hard by the gigantic jujube, the
mighty son of Kunti saw the Bhagirathi of easy descent and cool and furnished
with fresh lotuses and having stairs made of rubies and corals and graced with
trees and scattered over with celestial flowers, and gladsome to the mind. And
at that spot, frequented by celestials and sages, and extremely inaccessible,
they, after having purified themselves offered oblations unto the pitris and
the gods and the rishis in the sacred waters of the Bhagirathi. Thus those
bulls among men the heroic perpetuators of the Kuru race, began to reside there
with the Brahmanas offering oblations and practising meditation. And those
tigers among men, the Pandavas of the god-like appearance, felt delight in
witnessing the various amusements of Draupadi."
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