Vyasa Comes to Janamejaya's Sacrifice

Verse 1 (1.60.1)

श्रुत्वा तु सर्पसत्राय दीक्षितं जनमेजयम् । अभ्यगच्छदृषिर्विद्वान्कृष्णद्वैपायनस्तदा ॥

śrutvā tu sarpasatrāya dīkṣitaṃ janamejayam | abhyagacchadṛṣirvidvānkṛṣṇadvaipāyanastadā

Hearing that Janamejaya had been consecrated for the serpent sacrifice, the learned sage Krishna Dvaipayana came there.

Verse 2 (1.60.2)

जनयामास यं काली शक्तेः पुत्रात्पराशरात् । कन्यैव यमुनाद्वीपे पाण्डवानां पितामहम् ॥

janayāmāsa yaṃ kālī śakteḥ putrātparāśarāt | kanyaiva yamunādvīpe pāṇḍavānāṃ pitāmaham

He was the one whom Kali, while still a maiden, bore to Parashara, son of Shakti, on an island in the Yamuna — the grandfather of the Pandavas.

Verse 3 (1.60.3)

जातमात्रश्च यः सद्य इष्ट्या देहमवीवृधत् । वेदांश्चाधिजगे साङ्गान्सेतिहासान्महायशाः ॥

jātamātraśca yaḥ sadya iṣṭyā dehamavīvṛdhat | vedāṃścādhijage sāṅgānsetihāsānmahāyaśāḥ

As soon as he was born he made his body grow at once by his own will, and that glorious one mastered the Vedas with their auxiliary sciences and with the histories.

Note on the text: Corrected साङ्गन्सेतिहासान् → साङ्गान्सेतिहासान् (misprint in Wikisource; the long ā of the accusative plural was dropped, the critical edition reads sāṅgān setihāsān).

Verse 4 (1.60.4)

यं नाति तपसा कश्चिन्न वेदाध्ययनेन च । न व्रतैर्नोपवासैश्च न प्रसूत्या न मन्युना ॥

yaṃ nāti tapasā kaścinna vedādhyayanena ca | na vratairnopavāsaiśca na prasūtyā na manyunā

No one surpasses him in austerity, nor in the study of the Vedas, nor in vows, nor in fasts, nor in offspring, nor in fervour.

Verse 5 (1.60.5)

विव्यासैकं चतुर्धा यो वेदं वेदविदां वरः । परावरज्ञो ब्रह्मर्षिः कविः सत्यव्रतः शुचिः ॥

vivyāsaikaṃ caturdhā yo vedaṃ vedavidāṃ varaḥ | parāvarajño brahmarṣiḥ kaviḥ satyavrataḥ śuciḥ

Best of those who know the Veda, he divided the one Veda into four; a brahmin sage who knows the higher and the lower, a seer, true to his vows and pure.

Verse 6 (1.60.6)

यः पाण्डुं धृतराष्ट्रं च विदुरं चाप्यजीजनत् । शन्तनोः संततिं तन्वन्पुण्यकीर्तिर्महायशाः ॥

yaḥ pāṇḍuṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ ca viduraṃ cāpyajījanat | śantanoḥ saṃtatiṃ tanvanpuṇyakīrtirmahāyaśāḥ

He fathered Pandu, Dhritarashtra and Vidura, extending the line of Shantanu — he of holy fame and great glory.

Verse 7 (1.60.7)

जनमेजयस्य राजर्षेः स महात्मा सदस्तथा । विवेश सहितः शिष्यैर्वेदवेदाङ्गपारगैः ॥

janamejayasya rājarṣeḥ sa mahātmā sadastathā | viveśa sahitaḥ śiṣyairvedavedāṅgapāragaiḥ

That great-souled one entered the assembly of the royal sage Janamejaya, together with his disciples, masters of the Vedas and their auxiliary sciences.

Verse 8 (1.60.8)

तत्र राजानमासीनं ददर्श जनमेजयम् । वृतं सदस्यैर्बहुभिर्देवैरिव पुरन्दरम् ॥

tatra rājānamāsīnaṃ dadarśa janamejayam | vṛtaṃ sadasyairbahubhirdevairiva purandaram

There he saw King Janamejaya seated, surrounded by many members of the assembly, like Purandara among the gods,

Verse 9 (1.60.9)

तथा मूर्धाभिषिक्तैश्च नानाजनपदेश्वरैः । ऋत्विग्भिर्ब्रह्मकल्पैश्च कुशलैर्यज्ञसंस्तरे ॥

tathā mūrdhābhiṣiktaiśca nānājanapadeśvaraiḥ | ṛtvigbhirbrahmakalpaiśca kuśalairyajñasaṃstare

and by anointed kings, lords of many lands, and by priests like Brahma himself, skilled in laying out the sacrifice.

Verse 10 (1.60.10)

जनमेजयस्तु राजर्षिर्दृष्ट्वा तमृषिमागतम् । सगणोऽभ्युद्ययौ तूर्णं प्रीत्या भरतसत्तमः ॥

janamejayastu rājarṣirdṛṣṭvā tamṛṣimāgatam | sagaṇo'bhyudyayau tūrṇaṃ prītyā bharatasattamaḥ

When the royal sage Janamejaya, best of the Bharatas, saw the sage arrive, he rose at once with his followers and went joyfully to meet him.

Verse 11 (1.60.11)

काञ्चनं विष्टरं तस्मै सदस्यानुमतः प्रभुः । आसनं कल्पयामास यथा शक्रो बृहस्पतेः ॥

kāñcanaṃ viṣṭaraṃ tasmai sadasyānumataḥ prabhuḥ | āsanaṃ kalpayāmāsa yathā śakro bṛhaspateḥ

With the assent of the assembly, the lord had a golden seat set for him, as Shakra does for Brihaspati.

Verse 12 (1.60.12)

तत्रोपविष्टं वरदं देवर्षिगणपूजितम् । पूजयामास राजेन्द्रः शास्त्रदृष्टेन कर्मणा ॥

tatropaviṣṭaṃ varadaṃ devarṣigaṇapūjitam | pūjayāmāsa rājendraḥ śāstradṛṣṭena karmaṇā

When the giver of boons, honoured by hosts of divine sages, was seated there, the king of kings worshipped him in the manner the scriptures prescribe.

Verse 13 (1.60.13)

पाद्यमाचमनीयं च अर्घ्यं गां च विधानतः । पितामहाय कृष्णाय तदर्हाय न्यवेदयत् ॥

pādyamācamanīyaṃ ca arghyaṃ gāṃ ca vidhānataḥ | pitāmahāya kṛṣṇāya tadarhāya nyavedayat

Water for the feet, water for sipping, the guest-offering and a cow he duly presented to his grandsire Krishna, who was worthy of them.

Verse 14 (1.60.14)

प्रतिगृह्य तु तां पूजां पाण्डवाज्जनमेजयात् । गां चैव समनुज्ञाय व्यासः प्रीतोऽभवत्तदा ॥

pratigṛhya tu tāṃ pūjāṃ pāṇḍavājjanamejayāt | gāṃ caiva samanujñāya vyāsaḥ prīto'bhavattadā

Accepting that worship from Janamejaya of the Pandava line, and giving his assent concerning the cow, Vyasa was pleased.

Note on the text: Corrected पाम्डवाज्जनमेजयात् → पाण्डवाज्जनमेजयात् (misprint in Wikisource; म् for ण, the critical edition reads pāṇḍavāj janamejayāt).

Verse 15 (1.60.15)

तथा च पूजयित्वा तं प्रणयात्प्रपितामहम् । उपोपविश्य प्रीतात्मा पर्यपृच्छदनामयम् ॥

tathā ca pūjayitvā taṃ praṇayātprapitāmaham | upopaviśya prītātmā paryapṛcchadanāmayam

Having thus worshipped his great-grandsire with affection, the king sat down near him, glad at heart, and asked after his welfare.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रतितामहम् → प्रपितामहम् (misprint in Wikisource; प्रतितामह is not a word, the critical edition reads prapitāmaham).

Verse 16 (1.60.16)

भगवानपि तं दृष्ट्वा कुशलं प्रतिवेद्य च । सदस्यैः पूजितः सर्वैः सदस्यान्प्रत्यपूजयत् ॥

bhagavānapi taṃ dṛṣṭvā kuśalaṃ prativedya ca | sadasyaiḥ pūjitaḥ sarvaiḥ sadasyānpratyapūjayat

The holy one, too, looking at him, told him of his own well-being; honoured by all the members of the assembly, he honoured them in return.

Note on the text: Corrected भगवानापि → भगवानपि (misprint in Wikisource; a stray vowel sign ा, the critical edition reads bhagavān api).

Verse 17 (1.60.17)

ततस्तु सहितः सर्वैः सदस्यैर्जनमेजयः । इदं पश्चाद्द्विजश्रेष्ठं पर्यपृच्छत्कृताञ्जलिः ॥

tatastu sahitaḥ sarvaiḥ sadasyairjanamejayaḥ | idaṃ paścāddvijaśreṣṭhaṃ paryapṛcchatkṛtāñjaliḥ

Then Janamejaya, together with all the members of the assembly, with folded hands, asked the best of brahmins this:

Verse 18 (1.60.18)

कुरूणां पाण्डवानां च भवान्प्रत्यक्षदर्शिवान् । तेषां चरितमिच्छामि कथ्यमानं त्वया द्विज ॥

kurūṇāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ ca bhavānpratyakṣadarśivān | teṣāṃ caritamicchāmi kathyamānaṃ tvayā dvija

You have seen the Kurus and the Pandavas with your own eyes. I wish to hear their story as you tell it, O brahmin.

Verse 19 (1.60.19)

कथं समभवद्भेदस्तेषामक्लिष्टकर्मणाम् । तच्च युद्धं कथं वृत्तं भूतान्तकरणं महत् ॥

kathaṃ samabhavadbhedasteṣāmakliṣṭakarmaṇām | tacca yuddhaṃ kathaṃ vṛttaṃ bhūtāntakaraṇaṃ mahat

How did the breach come about between them, whose deeds were never mean? And how did that great war, which brought death to so many beings, come to pass

Verse 20 (1.60.20)

पितामहानां सर्वेषां दैवेनाविष्टचेतसाम् । कार्त्स्न्येनैतन्ममाचक्ष्व यथा वृत्तं द्विजोत्तम । इच्छामि तत्त्वतः श्रोतुं भगवन्कुशलो ह्यसि ॥

pitāmahānāṃ sarveṣāṃ daivenāviṣṭacetasām | kārtsnyenaitanmamācakṣva yathā vṛttaṃ dvijottama | icchāmi tattvataḥ śrotuṃ bhagavankuśalo hyasi

among all my grandsires, whose minds were possessed by fate? Tell me all of it, fully, just as it happened, O best of brahmins. I wish to hear it truly, holy one, for you are master of it.

Note on the text: Removed the wiki quote marks (`…') around the third line. The first line corresponds to 1.54.20a; the second is a variant of 1.54.20c; the third is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 21 (1.60.21)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा कृष्णद्वैपायनस्तदा । शशास शिष्यमासीनं वैशंपायनमन्तिके ॥

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā kṛṣṇadvaipāyanastadā | śaśāsa śiṣyamāsīnaṃ vaiśaṃpāyanamantike

Hearing his words, Krishna Dvaipayana then instructed his disciple Vaishampayana, who was seated near him:

Verse 22 (1.60.22)

कुरूणां पाण्डवानां च यथा भेदोऽभवत्पुरा । तदस्मै सर्वमाचक्ष्व यन्मत्तः श्रुतवानसि ॥

kurūṇāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ ca yathā bhedo'bhavatpurā | tadasmai sarvamācakṣva yanmattaḥ śrutavānasi

How the breach between the Kurus and the Pandavas came about long ago — tell him all of it, as you heard it from me.

Verse 23 (1.60.23)

गुरोर्वचनमाज्ञाय स तु विप्रर्षभस्तदा । आचचक्षे ततः सर्वमितिहासं पुरातनम् ॥

gurorvacanamājñāya sa tu viprarṣabhastadā | ācacakṣe tataḥ sarvamitihāsaṃ purātanam

Taking his teacher's word to heart, that bull among brahmins then related the whole ancient history

Verse 24 (1.60.24)

राज्ञे तस्मै सदस्येभ्यः पार्थिवेभ्यश्च सर्वशः । भेदं सर्वविनाशं च कुरुपाण्डवयोस्तदा ॥

rājñe tasmai sadasyebhyaḥ pārthivebhyaśca sarvaśaḥ | bhedaṃ sarvavināśaṃ ca kurupāṇḍavayostadā

to the king, to the members of the assembly and to all the princes there — the breach between the Kurus and the Pandavas, and the ruin of all.