संजय उवाच अथैनं विलपन्तं तं कुन्तीपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम्। कृष्णद्वैपायनस्तत्र आजगाम महानृषिः॥
Sanjaya said Thus when the son of Kunti, king Yudhishthira, was indulging in lamentations, there came to him the mighty sage Krishna Dvaipayana.
अर्चयित्वा यथान्यायमुपविष्टं युधिष्ठिरः। अब्रवीच्छोकसंतप्तो भ्रातुः पुत्रवधेन च॥
Then having duly worshipped him, Yudhishthira resumed his seat; and afflicted with grief at the death of his brother's son, he then thus addressed the Rishi.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच अधर्मयुक्तैर्बहुभिः परिवार्य महारथैः। युध्यमानो महेष्वासः सौभद्रो निहतो रणे॥
Yudhisthira said The son of Subhadra has been slain in battle when fighting with many, by several fierce bowmen of vicious tendencies, who, mighty car-warriors as they were, surrounded him on all sides.
बालश्च बालबुद्धिश्च सौभद्रः परवीरहा। अनुपायेन संग्रामे युध्यमानो विशेषतः॥
That layer of hostile heroes that son of Subhadra, was a mere child in years and in understanding. And he fought in battle against overwhelming numbers.
मया प्रोक्तः स संग्रामे द्वारं संजनयस्व नः। प्रविष्टेऽभ्यन्तरे तस्मिन् सैन्धवेन निवारिताः॥
During the course of the fight I said to him “Open a passage for us," then he penetrated into the hostile array and then we could not follow him, prevented by the ruler of the Sindhus. an
ननु नाम समं युद्धमेष्टव्यं युद्धजीविभिः। इदं चैवासमं युद्धमीदृशं यत् कृतं परैः॥
Those who live by fighting should surely desire equal combats. But his battle that the enemy fought with Abhimanyu was extremely unfair one.
तेनास्मि भृशसंतप्तः शोकबाष्पसमाकुलः। शमं नैवाधिगच्छामि चिन्तयानः पुनः पुनः॥
It is this that burns me with the fire of grief and draws tears of sorrow from my eyes. Brooding over this thought I cannot regain the tranquility of my mind.
संजय उवाच तं तथा विलपन्तं वै शोकव्याकुलमानसम्। उवाच भगवान् व्यासो युधिष्ठिरमिदं वचः॥
Sanjaya said Then the almighty Vyasa addressing Yudhishthira who was thus bewailing and was unmanned by the force of his grief, spoke the following words.
व्यास उवाच युधिष्ठिर महाप्राज्ञ सर्वशास्त्रविशारद। व्यसनेषु न मुह्यन्ति तवादृशा भरतर्षभ॥
Vyasa said O Yudhishthira, O son of superior wisdom, son who are well-learnt in all the branches of knowledge, O foremost of the Bharatas, people of your stamp are never confounded in seasons of calamity.
स्वर्गमेष गतः शूरः शत्रून् हत्वा बहून् रणे। अबालसदृशं कर्म कृत्वा वै पुरुषोत्तमः॥
This hero (Abhimanyu), this foremost of all male beings, has attained paradise after having slain numerous enemies in batile and having achieved many feats not at all boy-like.
अनतिक्रमणीयो वै विधिरेष युधिष्ठिर। देवदानवगन्धर्वान् मृत्युर्हरति भारत॥
O Yudhishthira, this law (that created being shall die) cannot be violated. O Bharata, Death takes away all Gods, Danavas and Gandharvas, (without exception).
युधिष्ठिर उवाच इमे वै पृथिवीपाला: शेरते पृथिवीतले। निहताः पृतनामध्ये मृतसंज्ञा महाबलाः॥
Yudhishthira said These rulers of earth, all endued with great might, are now lying on the bare ground of the battle-field being slain and deprived of their senses.
नागायुतबलाश्चान्ये वायुवेगबलास्तथा। त एते निहताः संख्ये तुल्यरूपा नरैर्नराः॥
Some of them possessed strength equal to that of ten thousand elephants; some, on the other hand, possessed the impetus and force of the very tempest. They have all been slain in battle by beings of their species and are all equal now.
नैषां पश्यामि हन्तारं प्राणिनां संयुगे क्वचित्। विक्रमेणोपसम्पन्नास्तपोबलसमन्विताः॥
I do not see the slayer of these created beings in battle, (save one of their own class). They were possessed of prowess and endued with might and energy.
जेतव्यमिति चान्योन्यं येषां नित्यं दि स्थितम्। अथ चेमे हताः प्राज्ञाः शेरते विगतायुषः॥
Alas even those who entertained in their heart the hopes of conquering one another in battle, are now lying slain deprived of their senses, in spite of all their wisdom.
मृता इति च शब्दोऽयं वर्तते च ततोऽर्थवत्। इमे मृता महीपाला: प्रायशो भीमविक्रमाः॥
The significance of the word 'Death' hastoday been clearly brought home (to our minds), as almost all these rulers of earth possessed of fierce prowess, lie dead on the field of battle.
निश्चेष्टा निरभीमानाः शूराः शत्रुवशंगताः। राजपुत्राश्च संरब्धा वैश्वानरमुखं गताः॥
These heroes having succumbed to their foes and now lying motionless and shorn of their pride. Many princes inflamed with wrath have fallen upon the fire of their antagonist's anger.
अत्र मे संशयः प्राप्त: कुत: संज्ञा मृता इति। कस्य मृत्युः कुतो मृत्युः कथं संहरते प्रजाः॥ हरत्यमरसंकाश तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह।
On this point a great doubt has taken possession of me, namely, whence has the word "dead" been derived? Whose offspring is Death? Whence does it come and why does it take away creatures? O you equal to a celestial, O grandsire, speak to me about all this.
संजय उवाच तं तथा परिपृच्छन्तं कुन्तीपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम्। आश्वासनमिदं वाक्यमुवाच भगवानृषिः॥
Sanjaya said Then that illustrious sage spoke these comforting words to Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, who had been questioning him in the above manner.
व्यास उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। अकम्पनस्य कथितं नारदेन पुरा नृप॥
Vyasa said On this subject, O monarch, an ancient story is cited as an example, story that was related to Akampana by Narada.
स चापि राजा राजेन्द्र पुत्रव्यसनमुत्तमम अप्रसह्यतमं लोके प्राप्तवानिति मे मतिः॥
So far as I know, O king, Akampana, while in this world, was also afflicted with the overwhelming and unbearable grief caused by his son's death.
तदहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि मृत्योः प्रभवमुत्तमम्। ततस्त्वं मोक्ष्यसे दुःखात् स्नेहबन्धनसंश्रयात्॥
I shall now recount to you the excellent story of the origin of Death. Hearing that story you shall be freed from grief and from the bondage of affection.
समस्तपापराशिघ्नं शृणु कीर्तयतो मम। धन्यमाख्यानमायुष्यं शोकनं पुष्टिवर्धनम्॥
Listen to me, O sire, as I go on repeating that ancient story. This story is excellent and enhances the period of life and kills sorrow and bestows health.
पवित्रमरिसंघघ्नं मङ्गलानां च मङ्गलम्। यथैव वेदाध्ययनमुपाख्यानमिदं तथा॥
It is holy, capable of destroying large numbers of foes and the most auspicious of all auspicious things. Verily this story is like the study or recital of the Vedas themselves.
श्रवणीयं महाराज प्रातर्नित्यं नृपोत्तमैः। पुत्रानायुष्मतो राज्यमीहमानैः श्रियं तथा॥
It should, O king, be every morning listened to be those foremost of the twice-borns, who desire to obtain long-lived sons, sovereignty and their own welfare.
पुरा कृतयुगे तात आसीद् राजा हकम्पनः। स शत्रुवशमापन्नो मध्ये संग्राममूर्धनि॥
In the days of yore during the Krita-yuga, O Sire, there lived a certain king by name Akampana. Once on a time, on the field of battle, amongst his foes, he was on the point of succumbing to his enemies.
तस्य पुत्रो हरि म नारायणसमो बले। श्रीमान् कृतास्त्रो मेधावी युधि शक्रोपमो बली॥
He had a son by name Hari, who was equal to Narayana himself in might; he was exceedingly handsome, accomplished in the use of weapons, intelligent, powerful and equal to Shakra in battle.
स शत्रुभिः परिवृतो बहुधा रणमूर्धनि। व्यस्यन् बाणसहस्राणि योधेषु च गजेषु च॥
Surrounded by countless foes on the field of battle, he shot thousands of shafts at the warriors and elephants that encompassed him.
स कर्म दुष्करं कृत्वा संग्रामे शत्रुतापनः। शत्रुभिर्निहतः संख्ये पृतनायां युधिष्ठिर॥
Having achieved many feats difficult of being achieved, that afflicter of foes, 0 Yudhisthira, was slain amidst this troops by his adversaries.
स राजा प्रेतकृत्यानि तस्य कृत्वा शुचान्वितः। शोचनहनि रात्री च नालभत् सुखमात्मनः॥
Performing the funeral ceremonies of his son, king Akampana became purified. But bewailing his son, day and night. he could not regain his peace of mind.
तस्य शोकं विदित्वा तु पुत्रव्यसनसम्भवम्। आजगामाथ देवर्षिर्नारदोऽस्य समीपतः॥
Then cognisant of his grief caused by the death of his son, there came near him the celestial sage Narada himself.
स तु राजा महाभागो दृष्ट्वा देवर्षिसत्तमम्। पूजयित्वा यथान्यायं कथामकथयत् तदा॥
That monarch of illustrious qualities, beholding the sage come, worshipped him duly and then spoke to him these words.
तस्य सर्वे समाचष्ट यथावृत्तं नरेश्वरः। शत्रुभिर्विजयं संख्ये पुत्रस्य च वधं तथा॥
And then that ruler of men spoke to the Rishi all that had happened, his defeat by his foes and the slaughter of his son by them.
अकम्पन उवाच मम पुत्रो महावीर्य इन्द्रविष्णुसमद्युतिः। शत्रुभिर्बहुभिः संख्ये पराक्रम्य हतो बली॥
Akampana said My son of great energy and mighty equal to Indra or Vishnu himself in effulgence, has been killed in battle by his numerous enemies, when engaged in fighting vigorously with them.
क एष मृत्युभगवन् किंवीर्यबलपौरुषः। एतदिच्छामि तत्त्वेन श्रोतुं मतिमतां वर॥
But, O illustrious sage, who is this Death, what is his prowess, might and manliness? O foremost of intelligent beings, I desire to know the real truth about all these questions.
व्यास उवाच तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा नारदो वरदः प्रभुः। आख्यानमिदमाचष्ट पुत्रशोकापहं महत्॥
Vyasa said Having heard those words of his, the lord Narada, that bestower of boons, related this story that is capable of destroying the great sorrow caused by the death of one's son.
शृणु राजन् महाबाहो आख्यानं बहुविस्तरम्। यथावृत्तां श्रुतं चैव मयाऽपि वसुधाधिप।॥
Hear, O mighty-armed monarch, this long story, exactly, O ruler of earth, as I myself have heard it.
प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा तदा ब्रह्मा आदिसर्गे पितामहः। असंतं महातेजा दृष्ट्वा जगदिदं प्रभुः॥
In the beginning of the creations, the Grandsire Brahma created all beings. Then that highly powerful one, seeing that the beings of his creation suffered no decay.
तस्य चिन्ता समुत्पन्ना संहारं प्रति पार्थिव। चिन्तयन्न ह्यसौ वेद संहारं वसुधाधिप॥
Fell to thinking, O king, as to how he should cause their destruction. Meditating long over the subject, he then failed to find out any means of destruction, O ruler of earth.
तस्य रोषान्महाराज खेभ्योऽग्निरुदतिष्ठत। तेन सर्वा दिशो व्याप्ताः सान्तर्देशा दिधक्षता॥
(Then he waxed wroth) and inconsequence of that wrath then, a fire sprang out from the skies. That fire spread in all the quarters of heaven and it began to consume all the regions of the universe.
ततो दिवं भुवं चैव ज्वालामालासमाकुलम्। चराचरं जगत सर्वे ददाह भगवान् प्रभुः॥
Thereat heaven, earth and the welkin, ail became overspread with tongues of flame. And that Almighty lord then burnt down the universe with its mobile and immobile creatures and objects.
ततो हतानि भूतानि चराणि स्थावराणि च। महता क्रोधवेगेन त्रासयन्निव वीर्यवान्॥
Then mobile and immobile, all creatures were annihilated. Verily the puissant Brahma did all this, frightening the worlds with the fierceness of his angers.
ततो रुद्रो जटी स्थाणुर्निशाचरपतिहरः। जगाम शरणं देवं ब्रह्मणं परमेष्ठिनम्॥
Thereupon Hara, otherwise called Sthanu, wearing matted locks on his head, that Lord of all the night-rangers, sought shelter from the divine Brahma that foremost of all gods.
तस्मिन्नापतिते स्थाणौ प्रजानां हितकाम्यया। अब्रवीत् परमो देवो ज्वलन्निव महामुनिः॥
Thus when Sthanu had fallen (at Brahma's feet) desirous of doing good to the creatures, that highest divinity, the foremost of all asceties, burning with effulgence said-
किं कुर्मः कार्म कामाई काकाज्जातोऽसि पुत्रका करिष्यामि प्रियं सर्वे ब्रूहि स्थाणो यदिच्छसि॥
What desire of yours shall we fulfill. O you that deserve to have all your wishes gratified! O son, you are born out of our will. We shall accomplish all that is dear unto you. Speak, O Sthanu, what you desire (to have).