वैशम्पायन उवाच गच्छन् स तीर्थानि महानुभावः पुण्यानि रम्याणि ददर्श राजा। सर्वाणि विप्रैरुपशोभितानि क्वचित् क्वचिद् भारत सागरस्य॥
Vaishampayana said : That magnanimous king then went to many sacred places and to various spots on the seashore, all adorned with the presence of Brahmanas. (He went to many) charming Tirthas and saw them.
स वृत्तवांस्तेषु कृताभिषेकः सहानुजः पार्थिवपुत्रपौत्रः। समुद्रगां पुण्यतमा प्रशस्तां जगाम पारिक्षित पाण्डुपुत्रः॥
O son of Parikshit, bathing in them and distributing wealth, that son of Pandu with his younger brothers went to a greatly holy and broad river.
तत्रापि चाप्लुत्य महानुभावः संतर्पयामास पितृन् सुरांचा द्विजातिमुख्येषुधनं विसृज्य गोदावरी सागरगामगच्छत्॥
That magnanimous king, bathing there, offered oblations to the Pitris and the celestials. Giving wealth to the foremost of Brahmanas, he then went to the ocean-going Godavari.
ततो विपाप्मा द्रविडेषु राजन् समुद्रमासाद्य च लोकपुण्यम्। अगस्त्यतीर्थं च महापवित्रं नारीतीर्थान्यथ वीरो ददर्श॥
O king, then being cleansed. of his sins, he came to the sea in the Dravida. The hero then saw the greatly holy and sacred Agastya Tirtha and also the Nari Tirtha.
तत्रार्जुनस्यायधनुर्धरस्य निशम्य तत् कर्म नरैरशक्यम्। सम्पूज्यमानः परमर्षिसङ्घः परां मुदं पाण्डुसुतः स लेभे॥
He heard here the story of the famous feat which was achieved by Arjuna, inat foremost of wielders of bow and which was beyond the power of man. Being praised by the great Rishis, the son of Pandu derived much pleasure.
स तेषु तीर्थेष्वभिषिक्तगात्रः कृष्णासहाय: सहितोऽनुजैश्च। सम्पूजयन् विक्रममर्जुनस्य रेमे महीपाल पतिः पृथिव्याः॥
O ruler of earth, that lord of earth with Krishna (Draupadi) and his younger brothers, praising the prowess of Arjuna, then lived there in great happiness.
ततः सहस्राणि गवां प्रदाय तीर्थेषु तेष्वम्बुधरोत्तमस्य। हृष्टः सह भ्रातृभिरर्जुनस्य संकीर्तयामास गवां प्रदानम्॥
He then gave away one thousand kine in those Tirthas situated on the shore of the excellent sea; and with his brothers he narrated with joy the account of Arjuna's bestowal of kine.
स तानि तीर्थानि च सागरस्य पुण्यानि चान्यानि बहूनि राजन्। क्रमेण गच्छन् परिपूर्णकाम: शूर्पारकं पुण्यतमं ददर्श॥
O king, he then went one after the other to all the Tirthas and also to other sacred places and thus his desires were fulfilled. He then saw the very sacred Shurparaka.
तत्रोदधे: कंचिदतीत्य देशं ख्यातं पृथिव्यां वनमाससाद। दिष्टं तथा पुण्यपरैर्नरेन्द्रैः॥
Then having crossed a certain tract on the sca coast, he came to a forest celebrated over the earth. In the days of yore the celestials performed asceticism there and the kings performed sacrifices.
स तत्र तामङ्घयधनुर्धरस्य वेदी ददर्शायतपीनबाहुः। ऋचीकपुत्रस्य तपस्विसङ्घः समावृतां पुण्यकृदर्चनीयाम्॥
The long and lusty-armed hero saw the celebrated altar of Rechika's son, that foremost of all wielders of the bow. It was surrounded by many ascetics and was fit to be worshipped by the virtuous..
ततो वसूनां वसुधाधिपः स मरुद्गणानां च तथाश्विनोश्च। मिन्द्रस्य विष्णोः सवितुर्विभोश्च॥ भवस्य चन्द्रस्य दिवाकरस्य पतेरपां साध्यगणस्य चैव। धातुः पितृणां च तथा महात्मा रुद्रस्य राजन् सगणस्य चैव॥ सरस्वत्याः सिद्धगणस्य चैव पुण्याश्च ये चाप्यमरास्तथान्ये। पुण्यानि चाप्यायतनानि तेषां ददर्श राजा सुमनोहराणि॥
The king then saw the sacred and the charining shrines of all the celestials, of the Vasus, of the Maruts, of the Ashvins of Yama, of Aditya, of the Lord of wealth (Kubera), of Indra, of Vishnu, of Shiva, of Moon, of the author of day (sun), of the lord of waters, of the lord of the Sadhyas and of Brahma, of the Pitris, of the high-souled Rudra, O king, of Sagara, of Sarasvati, of the Sidhyas and of many other immortal holy gods.
तेषूपवासान विबुधानुपोष्य दत्त्वा च रत्नानि महान्ति राजा। तीर्थेषु सर्वेषु परिप्लुताङ्गः पुनः स शूर्पारकमाजगाम्॥
The king observed many fasts in these Tirthas and gave away many costly gems. Having bathed his body in these holy places, he again came back to Shurparaka.
स तेन तीर्थेन तु सागरस्य पुनः प्रयातः सह सोदरीयैः। स्तीर्थं प्रभासं समुपाजगाम॥
He then with his brothers went along those Tirthas on the sea-coast; and he then came to Prabhasa, the fame of which had been spread by the Brahmanas all over the world.
तत्राभिषिक्तः पृथुलोहिताश्च सहानुजैर्देवगणान् पितॄश्चा संतर्पयामास तथैव कृष्णा ते चापि विप्राः सह लोमशेन।॥
The large and red-eyed hero, having bathed in it with his brothers, offered oblations to the celestials and the Pitris. So did Krishna (Draupadi) and all the Brahmanas with Lomasha.
स द्वादशाहं जलवायुभक्षः। कुर्वन् क्षपाहःसु तदाभिषेकम्। समन्ततोऽग्नीनुपदीपयित्वा तेपे तपोधर्मभृतां वरिष्ठः॥
For twelve days he lived on air and water. He performed ablutions for day and for night; he surrounded himself with fire kindled on all sides. Thus did that greatest of all virtuous men engaged himself in asceticism,
तमुग्रमास्थाय तपश्चरन्तं शुश्राव रामश्च जनार्दनश्च। तौ सर्ववृष्णिप्रवरौ ससैन्यौ युधिष्ठिरं जग्मतुराजमीढम्॥
When he was thus practising the severe austerities, Rama and Janardana (Balarama and Krishna) heard of it. The two leaders of the Vrishnis accompanied with soldiers went to Yudhishthira, the descendant of Ajamidha.
वृष्णयः पाण्डुसुतान् समीक्ष्य भूमौ शयानान् मलदिग्धगावान्। ते ॥ अनर्हती द्रौपदों चापि दृष्ट्वा सुदुःखिताश्चक्रुशुरातनादम्॥
The Vrishnis saw that the sons of Pandu lay down on the ground, their bodies being besmeared all over with dirt. Seeing Draupadi in a sad state, they were filled with grief and broke out into loud lamentations.
ततः स रामं च जनार्दनं च काणि च साम्बं च शिनेश्च पौत्रम्। अन्यांश्च वृष्णीनुपगम्य पूजा चक्रे यथाधर्ममहीनसत्त्वः॥
The king, whom misfortune never could cast down, cordially met Rama and Krishna, Krishna's son Samba, the grandson of Shini and other Vrishni and paid to them all due honours.
स्तैः सत्कृताः पाण्डुसुतैस्तथैव। नुपाविशन् देवगणा यथेन्द्रम्॥
They also paid due honours to the son of Pandu and were similarly honoured by him. () king, they sat round Yudhishthira as Indra is seated surrounded by the celestials.
तेषां स सर्वं चरितं परेषां वने च वासं परमप्रतीतः। अस्त्रार्थमिन्द्रस्य गतं च पार्थं निवेशन हृष्टमनाः शशंस॥
Being highly pleased, he narrated to them all the machinations of his enemies and how he lived in the forest and how Arjuna had gone to the abode of Indra; all this he narrated in great gladness of heart.
स्तांश्चापि दृष्ट्वा सुकृशानतीव। नेत्रोद्भवं सम्मुमुचुमहारे दुःखार्तिजं वारि महानुभावाः॥
They were glad to learn all this from him. When they saw the Pandavas lean, the magnanimous and the majestic Vrishnis began to shed tears, which came out spontaneously from their eyes.