वैशम्पायन उवाच दर्शनीयांस्ततः पुत्रान् पाण्डुः पञ्च महावने। तान् पश्यन् पर्वते रम्ये स्वबाहुबलमाश्रितः॥
Vaishampayana said : Seeing his five handsome sons before him in the great forest on the charming mountain slope, Pandu left that the old strength of his arms had come back.
सुपुष्पितवने काले कदाचिन्मधुमाधवे। भूतसम्मोहने राजा सभार्यो व्यचरद् वनम्॥
One day in the season of spring which maddens all creatures, the king (Pandu) with his wife (Madri) roamed in the woods where every tree was blossomed.
पलाशैस्तिलकैश्चतैश्चम्पकैः पारिभद्रकैः। अन्यैश्च बहुभिवृक्षैः फलपुष्पसमृद्धिभिः॥ जलस्थानैश्च विविधैः पद्मिनीभिश्च शोभितम्। पाण्डोर्वनं तत् सम्प्रेक्ष्य प्रजज्ञे हृदि मन्मथः॥
He saw Palashas, Tilakas, Mangoes, Champakas, Paribhadrakas and Karnikaras Kesharas, Atimuktas. There were also many other trees bent down with the weight of their flowers and fruits. There were many lakes overgrown with lotuses. Seeing all this, Pandu felt the influence of (the god of) love in his mind.
प्रहृष्टमनसं तत्र विचरन्तं यथामरम्। तं मात्यनुजगामैका वसनं बिभ्रती शुभम्॥ समीक्षमाणः स तु तां वयःस्थां तनुवाससम्। तस्य कामः प्रववृधै गहनेऽग्निरिवोद्गतः॥
In a delightful heart he roamed there like a celestial, followed by (his wife) Madri, who was robed in a semi-transparent cloth.
रहस्येकां तु तां दृष्ट्वा राजा राजीवलोचनाम्। न शशाक नियन्तुं तं कामं कामवशीकृतः॥
The king could not suppress his desire on seeing his lotus eyed wife and he was completely overcome by it in that solitude of the wood.
तत एनां बलाद् राजा निजग्राह रहो गताम्। वार्यमाणस्तया देव्या विस्फुरन्त्या यथाबलम्॥
The king then sized her by force, but Madri, trembling in fear, resisted him to the best of her power.
स तु कामपरीतात्मा तं शापं नान्वबुध्यत। माद्री मैथुनधर्मेण सोऽन्वगच्छद् बलादिव॥ जीवितान्ताय कौरव्य मन्मथस्य वशं गतः। शापजं भयमुत्सृज्य विधिना सम्प्रचोदितः॥
He (the king) was then overcome by desire; he did not remember the course (of the Rishi); he embraced Madri by force. O descendant of Kuru, unrestrained by the fear of curse and impelled by fate, the king, being overpowered by passion, forcibly sought the embraces of his wife, as if to put an end to his life.
तस्य कामात्मनो बुद्धिः साक्षात् कालेन मोहिता। सम्प्रमथ्येन्द्रियग्रामं प्रणष्टा सह चेतसा॥
His reason, being clouded by the destroyer himself, after intoxicating his senses was itself lost with his life.
स तया सह संगम्य भार्यया कुरुनन्दनः। पाण्डुः परमधर्मात्मा युयुजे कालधर्मणा॥
The descendant of Kuru, virtuous minded Pandu succumbed to the inevitable influence of Time while united with his wife.
ततो माद्री समालिङ्गय राजानं गतचेतसम्। मुमोच दुःखजं शब्दं पुनः पुनरतीव हि॥
Then Madri, embracing the senseless (dead) king, began repeatedly to utter words of lament.
सह पुत्रैस्ततः कुन्ती माद्रीपुत्रौ च पाण्डवौ। आजग्मुः सहितास्तत्र यत्र राजा तथागतः॥
Kunti with her sons and the sons of Madri, the Pandavas, came there where the king lay in that state.
ततो मायब्रवीद् राजन्नार्ता कुन्तीमिदं वचः। एकैव त्वमिहागच्छ तिष्ठन्त्वयैव दारकाः॥
O king, Madri then crying piteously said to Kunti, “Come here alone and let the children stay there."
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्यास्तत्रैवाधाय दारकान्। हताहमिति विक्रुश्य सहसैवाजगाम सा॥
Having heard her these words, Kunti bade the children to remain there came running and crying, "Woe to me!"
दृष्ट्वा पाण्डं च माद्रीं च शयानौ धरणीतले। कुन्ती शोकपरीताङ्गी विललाप सुदुःखिता॥
Seeing both Pandu and Madri lying prostrate on the ground, she bewailed in grief and affliction, saying-
रक्ष्यमाणो मया नित्यं वीरः सततमात्मवान्। कथं त्वामत्यतिक्रान्तः शापं जानन् वनौकसः॥
“Thus self controlled hero was always watched by me with care. How did he embrace you, knowing the curse of the Rishi.”
ननु नाम त्वया माद्रि रक्षितव्यो नराधिपः। सा कथं लोभितवती विजने त्वं नराधिपम्॥
O Madri, this king ought to have been protected by you; but why did you tempt the king in solitude?
कथं दीनस्य सततं त्वामासाद्य रहोगताम्। तं विचिन्तयतः शापं प्रहर्षः समजायत॥
He was always melancholy, thinking the curse of the Rishi. How did he become marry with you in solitude?
धन्या त्वमसि बाह्रीकि मत्तो भाग्यतरा तथा। दृष्टवत्यसि यद् वक्त्रं प्रहृष्टस्य महीपतेः॥
"O princess of Valhika, greater fortunate you are than I. You have seen the face of the king in gladness and joy."
मान्युवाच विलपन्त्या मया देवि वार्यमाणेन चासकृत्। आत्मा न वारितोऽनेन सत्यं दिष्टं चिकीर्षणा॥
Madri said : Sister, with tears in my eyes, I resisted the king, but he could not control himself, as if he was bent upon making the Rishi's curse true.
कुन्त्युवाच अहं ज्येष्ठा धर्मपत्नी ज्येष्ठं धर्मफलं मम। अवश्यम्भाविनो भावान्मा मां माद्रि निवर्तय॥ अन्विष्यामीह भर्तारमहं प्रेतवशं गतम्। उत्तिष्ठ त्वं विसृज्यैनमिमान् पालय दारकान्॥ अवाप्य पुत्राँल्लोब्धात्मा वीरपत्नीत्वमर्थये।
Kunti said : I am the eldest of his wedded wives; the chief religious merit is mine. O Madri, therefore, prevent me not from what must come to pass. I must follow our lord to the region of the dead. Rise up, give me the body and you rear the children.
मान्युवाच अहमेवानुयास्यामि भर्तारमपलायिनम्। न हि तृप्तास्मि कामानां ज्येष्ठा मामनुमन्यताम्॥
Madri said: I am still clasping our lord and here not allowed him to go away. Therefore, I shall follow him. I am not as yet satiated you are my eldest sister, give me permission (to go).
मां चाभिगम्य क्षीणोऽयं कामाद् भरतसत्तमः। तमुच्छिन्द्यामस्य कामं कथं नु यमसादने॥
This best of the Bharata race came to me with the desire of having intercourse. His desire was not satiated, should I not go to the region of the Yama to gratify him?
न चाप्यहं वर्तयन्ती निर्विशेषं सुतेषु ते। वृत्तिमार्ये चरिष्यामि स्पृशेदेनस्तथा च माम्॥
O revered sister, if I survive you, it is certain I shall not be able to rear up your and my own children (with equality) and thus sin will touch me.
तस्मान्मे सुतयोः कुन्ति वर्तितव्यं स्वपुत्रवत्। मां च कामयमानोऽयं राजा प्रेतवशं गतः॥
O Kunti, you will be able to bring up my sons as if they are yours. The king, in seeking me with desire, has gone to the region of the dead.
वैशम्पायन उवाच राज्ञः शरीरेण सह मामपीदं कलेवरम्। दग्धव्यं सुप्रतिच्छन्नमेतदार्ये प्रियं कुरु॥
Therefore, my body should be burned with that of the king. O revered abater, do not refuse me your permission to what is agreeable to me.
दारकेष्वप्रमत्ता च भवेथाश्च हिता ममा अतोऽन्यन्न प्रपश्यामि संदेष्टव्यं हि किंचन॥
You will certainly bring up the children carefully. It would be doing the greatest good to me. I do not find anything more to tell you.
वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्त्वा तं चिताग्निस्थं धर्मपत्नी नरर्षभम्। मद्रराजसुता तूर्णमन्वारोहद् यशस्विनी॥
Vaishampayana said : Having said this, the daughter of the king of Madra, the lawfully wedded wife of that best of men Pandu, ascended the funeral pyre of her lord.