Chyavana Shows Kushika a Vision of Heaven

Verse 1 (13.89.1)

ततः स राजा रात्र्यन्ते प्रतिबुद्धो महामनाः । कृतपूर्वाह्णिकः प्रायात्सभार्यस्तद्वनं प्रति ॥

tataḥ sa rājā rātryante pratibuddho mahāmanāḥ | kṛtapūrvāhṇikaḥ prāyātsabhāryastadvanaṃ prati

Then, at the end of the night, the high-minded king woke, performed his morning rites, and set out with his wife toward that forest.

Verse 2 (13.89.2)

ततो ददर्श नृपतिः प्रासादं सर्वकाञ्चनम् । मणिस्तम्भसहस्राढ्यं गन्धर्वनगरोपमम् । तत्र दिव्यानभिप्रायान्ददर्श कुशिकस्तदा ॥

tato dadarśa nṛpatiḥ prāsādaṃ sarvakāñcanam | maṇistambhasahasrāḍhyaṃ gandharvanagaropamam | tatra divyānabhiprāyāndadarśa kuśikastadā

Then the king saw a palace made wholly of gold, rich with a thousand jewelled pillars, like a city of the Gandharvas. And there Kushika saw wonders of every divine kind.

Verse 3 (13.89.3)

पर्वतान्रूप्यसानूंश्च नलिनीश्च सपङ्कजाः । चित्रशालाश्च विविधास्तोरणानि च भारत । शाद्वलोपचितां भूमिं तथा काञ्चनकुट्टिमाम् ॥

parvatānrūpyasānūṃśca nalinīśca sapaṅkajāḥ | citraśālāśca vividhāstoraṇāni ca bhārata | śādvalopacitāṃ bhūmiṃ tathā kāñcanakuṭṭimām

He saw mountains with silver peaks, lotus ponds full of lotuses, many kinds of picture-halls and gateway arches, O Bharata, and ground thick with fresh grass and floors inlaid with gold.

Verse 4 (13.89.4)

सहकारान्प्रफुल्लांश्च केतकोद्दालकान्वरान् । अशोकान्सहकुन्दांश्च फुल्लांश्चैवातिमुक्तकान् ॥

sahakārānpraphullāṃśca ketakoddālakānvarān | aśokānsahakundāṃśca phullāṃścaivātimuktakān

He saw mango trees in flower, fine ketakas and uddalakas, ashokas together with kundas, and blossoming atimuktakas.

Verse 5 (13.89.5)

चम्पकांस्तिलकान्भव्यान्पनसान्वञ्जुलानपि । पुष्पितान्कर्णिकारांश्च तत्रतत्र ददर्श ह ॥

campakāṃstilakānbhavyānpanasānvañjulānapi | puṣpitānkarṇikārāṃśca tatratatra dadarśa ha

Champakas, handsome tilakas, jackfruit trees, vanjulas and flowering karnikaras — he saw them here and there.

Verse 6 (13.89.6)

श्यामान्वारणपुष्पांश्च तथाऽष्टपदिका लताः । तत्रतत्र परिक्लृप्ता ददर्श स महीपतिः ॥

śyāmānvāraṇapuṣpāṃśca tathā'ṣṭapadikā latāḥ | tatratatra pariklṛptā dadarśa sa mahīpatiḥ

That lord of the earth saw dark shyama plants, vaaranapushpa blossoms and ashtapadika creepers, set out here and there.

Note on the text: Not auto-aligned: a variant reading of CE 13.54.6 ('śyāmāṃ vāraṇapuṣpīṃ ca tathāṣṭāpadikāṃ latām …'); recension variant, published as in Wikisource.

Verse 7 (13.89.7)

रम्यान्पद्मोत्पलधरान्सर्वर्तुकुसुमांस्तथा । विमानप्रतिमांश्चापि प्रासादाञ्शैलसन्निभान् ॥

ramyānpadmotpaladharānsarvartukusumāṃstathā | vimānapratimāṃścāpi prāsādāñśailasannibhān

He saw lovely things bearing lotuses and blue lotuses, with flowers of every season, and mansions like celestial cars, tall as mountains.

Verse 8 (13.89.8)

शीतलानि च तोयानि क्वचिदुष्णानि भारत । आसनानि विचित्राणि शयनप्रवराणि च ॥

śītalāni ca toyāni kvaciduṣṇāni bhārata | āsanāni vicitrāṇi śayanapravarāṇi ca

There were cool waters and, in places, warm ones, O Bharata; seats of many kinds, and the finest couches.

Verse 9 (13.89.9)

पर्यङ्कान्रत्नसौवर्णान्परार्ध्यास्तरणास्तृतान् । भक्ष्यं भोज्यमनन्तं च तत्रतत्रोपकल्पितम् ॥

paryaṅkānratnasauvarṇānparārdhyāstaraṇāstṛtān | bhakṣyaṃ bhojyamanantaṃ ca tatratatropakalpitam

There were couches of jewels and gold spread with costly coverings, and food, hard and soft, without end, laid out in one place after another.

Verse 10 (13.89.10)

वाणीवादाञ्छुकांश्चैव शारिका भृङ्गराजकान् । कोकिलाञ्छतपत्रांश्च सकोयष्टिककुक्कुभान् ॥

vāṇīvādāñchukāṃścaiva śārikā bhṛṅgarājakān | kokilāñchatapatrāṃśca sakoyaṣṭikakukkubhān

He saw birds that imitate human speech, parrots, mynas, bhringarajas, cuckoos, shatapatras, and the koyashtikas and kukkubhas.

Verse 11 (13.89.11)

मयूरान्कुक्कुटांश्चापि दात्यूहाञ्जीवजीवकान् । चकोरान्वानरान्हंसान्सारसांश्चक्रसाह्वयान् ॥

mayūrānkukkuṭāṃścāpi dātyūhāñjīvajīvakān | cakorānvānarānhaṃsānsārasāṃścakrasāhvayān

Peacocks and cocks, datyuhas, jivajivakas, chakoras, monkeys, swans, sarasa cranes and chakravaka birds were there as well.

Verse 12 (13.89.12)

समन्ततः प्रणदतो ददर्श सुमनोहरान् । क्वचिदप्सरसां सङ्घान्गन्धर्वाणां च पार्थिव ॥

samantataḥ praṇadato dadarśa sumanoharān | kvacidapsarasāṃ saṅghāngandharvāṇāṃ ca pārthiva

He saw them calling sweetly on every side, most charming; and in places, O king, he saw troops of Apsaras and of Gandharvas.

Verse 13 (13.89.13)

कान्ताभिरपरांस्तत्र परिष्वक्तान्ददर्श ह । न ददर्श च तान्भूयो ददर्श च पुनर्नृपः ॥

kāntābhiraparāṃstatra pariṣvaktāndadarśa ha | na dadarśa ca tānbhūyo dadarśa ca punarnṛpaḥ

He saw others there embraced by their beloved women; then he saw them no more, and then the king saw them again.

Note on the text: Corrected परिष्वक्रान् → परिष्वक्तान् (misprint in Wikisource; र for त, CE reads 'pariṣvaktān').

Verse 14 (13.89.14)

गीतध्वनिं सुमधुरं तथैवाध्ययनध्वनिम् । हंसान्सुमधुरांश्चापि तत्र शुश्राव पार्थिवः ॥

gītadhvaniṃ sumadhuraṃ tathaivādhyayanadhvanim | haṃsānsumadhurāṃścāpi tatra śuśrāva pārthivaḥ

There the king heard sweet singing, likewise the sound of Vedic recitation, and the sweet cries of swans.

Note on the text: Corrected हंसानसुमधुरांश्चापि → हंसान्सुमधुरांश्चापि (misprint in Wikisource; lost virama in हंसान्, CE reads 'haṃsān sumadhurāṃś cāpi').

Verse 15 (13.89.15)

तं दृष्ट्वाऽत्यद्भुतं राजा मनसाऽचिन्तयत्तदा । स्वप्नोऽयं चित्तविभ्रंश उताहो सत्यमेव तु ॥

taṃ dṛṣṭvā'tyadbhutaṃ rājā manasā'cintayattadā | svapno'yaṃ cittavibhraṃśa utāho satyameva tu

Seeing that exceeding marvel, the king thought to himself: “Is this a dream, a delusion of the mind, or is it really true?”

Verse 16 (13.89.16)

अहो सह शरीरेण प्राप्तोस्मि परमां गतिम् । उत्तरान्वा कुरून्पुण्यानथवाऽप्यमरावतीम् ॥

aho saha śarīreṇa prāptosmi paramāṃ gatim | uttarānvā kurūnpuṇyānathavā'pyamarāvatīm

“Ah! With this very body I have reached the highest state — either the holy Uttara Kurus, or else Amaravati!”

Verse 17 (13.89.17)

किञ्चेदं महदाश्चर्यं सम्पश्यामीत्यचिन्तयत् । एवं सञ्चिन्तयन्नेव ददर्श मुनिपुङ्गवम् ॥

kiñcedaṃ mahadāścaryaṃ sampaśyāmītyacintayat | evaṃ sañcintayanneva dadarśa munipuṅgavam

“What is this great wonder that I behold?” he thought. And even as he thought thus, he saw the foremost of sages.

Verse 18 (13.89.18)

तस्मिन्विमाने सौवर्णे मणिस्तम्भसमाकुले । महार्हे शयने दिव्ये शयानं भृगुनन्दनम् ॥

tasminvimāne sauvarṇe maṇistambhasamākule | mahārhe śayane divye śayānaṃ bhṛgunandanam

In that golden celestial car, crowded with jewelled pillars, the son of Bhrigu was lying on a costly, divine couch.

Verse 19 (13.89.19)

तमभ्ययात्प्रहर्षेण नरेन्द्रः सह भार्यया । अन्तर्हितस्ततो भूयश्च्यवनः शयनं च तत् ॥

tamabhyayātpraharṣeṇa narendraḥ saha bhāryayā | antarhitastato bhūyaścyavanaḥ śayanaṃ ca tat

The king went toward him joyfully, together with his wife; but Chyavana vanished again, and so did that couch.

Note on the text: Corrected व → च (misprint in Wikisource; 'शयनं च तत्', CE reads 'śayanaṃ ca tat').

Verse 20 (13.89.20)

ततोऽन्यस्मिन्वनोद्देशे पुनरेव ददर्श तम् । कौश्यां बृस्यां समासीनं जपमानं महाव्रतम् ॥

tato'nyasminvanoddeśe punareva dadarśa tam | kauśyāṃ bṛsyāṃ samāsīnaṃ japamānaṃ mahāvratam

Then, in another part of the forest, he saw him again, seated on a mat of kusha grass, muttering prayers, a man of great vows.

Note on the text: CE 13.54.20a, 20c.

Verse 21 (13.89.21)

एवं योगबलाद्विप्रो मोहयामास पार्थिवम् ॥

evaṃ yogabalādvipro mohayāmāsa pārthivam

In this way the brahmin, by the power of yoga, bewildered the king.

Note on the text: Single-line verse in Wikisource: the third line (CE 13.54.20e) of the critical edition's verse 13.54.20, whose first two lines are the preceding verse.

Verse 22 (13.89.22)

क्षणेन तद्वनं चैव ते चैवाप्सरसां गणाः । गन्धर्वाः पादपाश्चैव सर्वमन्तरधीयत ॥

kṣaṇena tadvanaṃ caiva te caivāpsarasāṃ gaṇāḥ | gandharvāḥ pādapāścaiva sarvamantaradhīyata

In a moment that forest, those hosts of Apsaras, the Gandharvas and the trees — everything vanished.

Verse 23 (13.89.23)

निःशब्दमभवच्चापि गङ्गाकूलं पुनर्नृप । कुशवल्मीकभूयिष्ठं बभूव च यथा पुरा ॥

niḥśabdamabhavaccāpi gaṅgākūlaṃ punarnṛpa | kuśavalmīkabhūyiṣṭhaṃ babhūva ca yathā purā

And the bank of the Ganga fell silent again, O king, and was as it had been before, thick with kusha grass and anthills.

Verse 24 (13.89.24)

ततः स राजा कुशिकः सभार्यस्तेन कर्मणा । विस्मयं परमं प्राप्तस्तद्दृष्ट्वा महदद्भुतम् ॥

tataḥ sa rājā kuśikaḥ sabhāryastena karmaṇā | vismayaṃ paramaṃ prāptastaddṛṣṭvā mahadadbhutam

Then King Kushika, with his wife, having seen that great marvel, was filled with utmost amazement at that feat.

Verse 25 (13.89.25)

ततः प्रोवाच कुशिको भार्यां हर्षसमन्वितः । पश्य भद्रे यथाभावाश्चित्रा दृष्टाः सुदुर्लभाः । प्रसादाद्भृगुमुख्यस्य किमन्यत्र तपोबलात् ॥

tataḥ provāca kuśiko bhāryāṃ harṣasamanvitaḥ | paśya bhadre yathābhāvāścitrā dṛṣṭāḥ sudurlabhāḥ | prasādādbhṛgumukhyasya kimanyatra tapobalāt

Then Kushika, full of joy, said to his wife: “See, good lady, what rare and wondrous things we have seen! It is by the grace of the foremost of the Bhrigus — what else could it be but the power of austerity?”

Note on the text: Corrected भार्या → भार्यां (misprint in Wikisource; anusvara dropped, CE reads 'bhāryāṃ'). Lines = CE 13.54.24a, 24c, 25a. The first line is narration; Kushika's words begin with the second line.

Verse 26 (13.89.26)

तपसा तदवाप्यं हि यन्न शक्यं मनोरथैः । त्रैलोक्यराज्यादपि हि तप एव विशिष्यते ॥

tapasā tadavāpyaṃ hi yanna śakyaṃ manorathaiḥ | trailokyarājyādapi hi tapa eva viśiṣyate

“By austerity one may gain what cannot be gained by wishes. Austerity surpasses even sovereignty over the three worlds.”

Note on the text: Lines = CE 13.54.25c, 26a. Unheaded speech of Kushika to his wife (the page's heading is Bhishma's narration), so given to Kushika.

Verse 27 (13.89.27)

तपसा हि सुतप्तेन क्रीडत्येष तपोधनः । अहो प्रभावो ब्रह्मर्षेश्च्यवनस्य महात्मनः ॥

tapasā hi sutaptena krīḍatyeṣa tapodhanaḥ | aho prabhāvo brahmarṣeścyavanasya mahātmanaḥ

“Truly, this man rich in austerity plays at will through austerity well performed. Ah, how great is the power of the great-souled brahmin sage Chyavana!”

Note on the text: Corrected सुतप्तेनि → सुतप्तेन (misprint in Wikisource; stray ि, CE reads 'sutaptena'). Lines = CE 13.54.26c, 27a. Unheaded speech of Kushika, given to Kushika.

Verse 28 (13.89.28)

इच्छयैष तपोवीर्यादन्याँल्लोकान्सृजेदपि । ब्राह्मणा एव जायेरन्पुण्यवाग्बुद्धिकर्मणा ॥

icchayaiṣa tapovīryādanyām̐llokānsṛjedapi | brāhmaṇā eva jāyeranpuṇyavāgbuddhikarmaṇā

“By the strength of his austerity he could, if he wished, create other worlds as well, in which only brahmins would be born, through purity of speech, mind and deed.”

Note on the text: Lines = CE 13.54.27c, 28a. Unheaded speech of Kushika, given to Kushika.

Verse 29 (13.89.29)

उत्सहेदिह कृत्वैव कोऽन्यो वै च्यवनादृते । ब्राह्मण्यं दुर्लभं लोके राज्यं हि सुलभं नरैः ॥

utsahediha kṛtvaiva ko'nyo vai cyavanādṛte | brāhmaṇyaṃ durlabhaṃ loke rājyaṃ hi sulabhaṃ naraiḥ

“Who else but Chyavana would dare to do such a thing here? Brahmanhood is hard to win in the world, while kingship is easily had by men.”

Note on the text: Lines = CE 13.54.28c, 29a. Unheaded speech of Kushika, given to Kushika. The page's post-colophon gloss (a variant reading of this verse) corresponds to CE star passage 13,054.028d*0326_01-02; it is not added.

Verse 30 (13.89.30)

ब्राह्मण्यस्य प्रभावाद्धि रथे युक्तौ स्वधुर्यवत् । इत्येवं चिन्तयानः स विदितश्च्यवनस्य वै ॥

brāhmaṇyasya prabhāvāddhi rathe yuktau svadhuryavat | ityevaṃ cintayānaḥ sa viditaścyavanasya vai

“By the power of brahmanhood we were yoked to his chariot like his own draught animals.” While Kushika was thinking thus, Chyavana knew his thought.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 13.54.29c, 30a. The first line closes Kushika's speech; the second line is narration, so the verse stays with the narrator.

Verse 31 (13.89.31)

सम्प्रेक्ष्योवाच नृपतिं क्षिप्रमागम्यतामिति । इत्युक्तः सहभार्यस्तु सोभ्यगच्छन्महामुनिम् ॥

samprekṣyovāca nṛpatiṃ kṣipramāgamyatāmiti | ityuktaḥ sahabhāryastu sobhyagacchanmahāmunim

Looking at the king, Chyavana said, “Come here quickly.” Thus told, the king went with his wife to the great sage.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 13.54.30c, 31a.

Verse 32 (13.89.32)

शिरसा वन्दनीयं तमवन्दत च पार्थिवः । तस्याशिषः प्रयुज्याथ स मुनिस्तं नराधिपम् । निषीदेत्यब्रवीद्धीमान्सान्त्वयन्पुरुषर्षभः ॥

śirasā vandanīyaṃ tamavandata ca pārthivaḥ | tasyāśiṣaḥ prayujyātha sa munistaṃ narādhipam | niṣīdetyabravīddhīmānsāntvayanpuruṣarṣabhaḥ

The king bowed his head to the sage, who was worthy of such homage. The sage then pronounced blessings on the king, and that wise best of men said to him, comforting him, “Be seated.”

Note on the text: Lines = CE 13.54.31c, 32a, 32c.

Verse 33 (13.89.33)

ततः प्रकृतिमापन्नो भार्गवो नृपते नृपम् । उवाच श्लक्ष्णया वाचा तर्पयन्निव भारत ॥

tataḥ prakṛtimāpanno bhārgavo nṛpate nṛpam | uvāca ślakṣṇayā vācā tarpayanniva bhārata

Then, restored to his natural state, the descendant of Bhrigu spoke to the king in gentle words, as if to soothe him, O Bharata.

Verse 34 (13.89.34)

राजन्सम्यग्जितानीह पञ्चपञ्च स्वयं त्वया । मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि कृच्छ्रान्मुक्तोसि तेन वै ॥

rājansamyagjitānīha pañcapañca svayaṃ tvayā | manaḥṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi kṛcchrānmuktosi tena vai

“O king, you yourself have thoroughly mastered the five and the five, the senses with the mind as the sixth; by that you have been freed from a hard trial.”

Note on the text: Unheaded speech of Chyavana (introduced by the preceding verse), given to Chyavana; the page's heading is Bhishma's narration.

Verse 35 (13.89.35)

सम्यगाराधितः पुत्र त्वयाऽहं वदतांवर । न हि ते वृजिनं किञ्चित्सुसूक्ष्ममपि दृश्यते ॥

samyagārādhitaḥ putra tvayā'haṃ vadatāṃvara | na hi te vṛjinaṃ kiñcitsusūkṣmamapi dṛśyate

“You have served me well, my son, best of speakers. Not the slightest fault of yours is to be seen.”

Note on the text: Corrected वृजितं → वृजिनं (misprint in Wikisource; 'vṛjina', fault, as in CE 'vṛjinaṃ'). Unheaded speech of Chyavana, given to Chyavana.

Verse 36 (13.89.36)

अनुजानीहि मां राजन्गमिष्यामि यथागतम् । प्रीतोस्मि तव राजेन्द्र वरश्च प्रतिगृह्यताम् ॥

anujānīhi māṃ rājangamiṣyāmi yathāgatam | prītosmi tava rājendra varaśca pratigṛhyatām

“Give me leave, O king; I shall go as I came. I am pleased with you, O king of kings; let a boon be accepted.”

Note on the text: Unheaded speech of Chyavana, given to Chyavana.

Verse 37 (13.89.37)

अग्निमध्ये गतेनेव भगवन्सन्निधौ मया । वर्तितं भृगुशार्दूल यन्न दग्धोस्मि तद्बहु ॥

agnimadhye gateneva bhagavansannidhau mayā | vartitaṃ bhṛguśārdūla yanna dagdhosmi tadbahu

“Venerable one, in your presence I have lived as though in the midst of a fire; that I was not burned is itself a great thing, O tiger of the Bhrigus.”

Verse 38 (13.89.38)

एष एव वरो मुख्यः प्राप्तो मे भृगुनन्दन । यत्प्रीतोसि ममाचारैः कुलं त्रातं च मेऽनघ ॥

eṣa eva varo mukhyaḥ prāpto me bhṛgunandana | yatprītosi mamācāraiḥ kulaṃ trātaṃ ca me'nagha

“This alone is the chief boon I have gained, O joy of the Bhrigus: that you are pleased with my conduct, and that my family has been saved, O sinless one.”

Verse 39 (13.89.39)

एष मेऽनुग्रहो विप्र जीविते च प्रयोजनम् । एतद्राज्यफलं चैव तपसश्च फलं मम ॥

eṣa me'nugraho vipra jīvite ca prayojanam | etadrājyaphalaṃ caiva tapasaśca phalaṃ mama

“This is your favour to me, O brahmin, and the purpose of my life; this is the fruit of my kingship and the fruit of my austerity.”

Note on the text: Corrected एथ मेऽन्द्रग्रहो → एष मेऽनुग्रहो (misprint in Wikisource; CE reads 'eṣa me 'nugraho vipra'). Not auto-aligned: CE 13.54.39 has the same first line, and a variant second line ('etad rājyaphalaṃ caiva tapaś caitat paraṃ mama').

Verse 40 (13.89.40)

यदि त्वं प्रीतिमान्विप्र मयि वै भृगुनन्दन । अस्ति मे संशयः कश्चित्तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ॥

yadi tvaṃ prītimānvipra mayi vai bhṛgunandana | asti me saṃśayaḥ kaścittanme vyākhyātumarhasi

“If you are pleased with me, O brahmin, O joy of the Bhrigus, I have a certain doubt; you should explain it to me.”