From Vinashana to Kashmir; the Testing of Ushinara Begins

Verse 1 (3.132.1)

इह मर्त्यास्तनूस्त्यक्त्वा स्वर्गं गच्छन्ति भारत । मर्तुकामा नरा राजन्निहायान्ति सहस्रशः ॥

iha martyāstanūstyaktvā svargaṃ gacchanti bhārata | martukāmā narā rājannihāyānti sahasraśaḥ

Here mortals who give up their bodies go to heaven, O Bharata, and thousands of men who wish to die come here, O king.

Verse 2 (3.132.2)

एवमाशीः प्रयुक्ता हि दक्षेण यजता पुरा । इह ये वै मरिष्यन्ति ते वै स्वर्गजितो नराः ॥

evamāśīḥ prayuktā hi dakṣeṇa yajatā purā | iha ye vai mariṣyanti te vai svargajito narāḥ

For when Daksha sacrificed here long ago he pronounced this blessing: "Those who die here will be men who have won heaven."

Verse 3 (3.132.3)

एषा सरस्वती रम्या दिव्या चौघवती नदी । एतद्विनशनं नाम सरस्वत्या विशांपते ॥

eṣā sarasvatī ramyā divyā caughavatī nadī | etadvinaśanaṃ nāma sarasvatyā viśāṃpate

This is the lovely Sarasvati, a divine river in full flood; and this, lord of the people, is the place called Vinashana, where the Sarasvati vanishes.

Verse 4 (3.132.4)

द्वारं निषादराष्ट्रस्य येषां दोषात्सरस्वती । प्रविष्टा पृथिवीं वीर मा निषादा हि मां विदुः ॥

dvāraṃ niṣādarāṣṭrasya yeṣāṃ doṣātsarasvatī | praviṣṭā pṛthivīṃ vīra mā niṣādā hi māṃ viduḥ

It is the gateway to the kingdom of the Nishadas. Because of their faults the Sarasvati entered the earth, hero, so that the Nishadas should not know her.

Verse 5 (3.132.5)

एष वै चमसोद्भेदो यत्र दृश्या सरस्वती । यत्रैनामभ्यवर्तन्त दिव्याः पुण्याः समुद्रगाः ॥

eṣa vai camasodbhedo yatra dṛśyā sarasvatī | yatraināmabhyavartanta divyāḥ puṇyāḥ samudragāḥ

This is Chamasodbheda, where the Sarasvati becomes visible again, and where the divine and holy rivers that flow to the sea came to join her.

Verse 6 (3.132.6)

एतत्सिन्धोर्महत्तीर्थं यत्रागस्त्यमरिंदम । लोपामुद्रा समागम्य भर्तारमवृणीत वै ॥

etatsindhormahattīrthaṃ yatrāgastyamariṃdama | lopāmudrā samāgamya bhartāramavṛṇīta vai

This is the great ford of the Sindhu, tamer of foes, where Lopamudra met Agastya and chose him for her husband.

Verse 7 (3.132.7)

एतत्प्रकाशते तीर्थं प्रभासं भास्करद्युते । इन्द्रस्य दयितं पुण्यं पवित्रं पापनाशनम् ॥

etatprakāśate tīrthaṃ prabhāsaṃ bhāskaradyute | indrasya dayitaṃ puṇyaṃ pavitraṃ pāpanāśanam

There shines the ford of Prabhasa, you who are bright as the sun: dear to Indra, holy, purifying and destroying sin.

Verse 8 (3.132.8)

एतद्विष्णुपदं नाम दृश्यते तीर्थमुत्तमम् । एषा रम्या विपाशा च नदी परमपावनी ॥

etadviṣṇupadaṃ nāma dṛśyate tīrthamuttamam | eṣā ramyā vipāśā ca nadī paramapāvanī

Here can be seen the excellent ford called Vishnupada, and here is the lovely Vipasha, a supremely purifying river.

Note on the text: Corrected एषां → एषा (misprint in Wikisource; a stray anusvara; the pronoun agrees with विपाशा, and the critical edition reads eṣā).

Verse 9 (3.132.9)

अत्र वै पुत्रशोकेन वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः । बद्ध्वाऽत्मानं निपतितो विपाशः पुनरुत्थितः ॥

atra vai putraśokena vasiṣṭho bhagavānṛṣiḥ | baddhvā'tmānaṃ nipatito vipāśaḥ punarutthitaḥ

Here the blessed seer Vasishtha, grieving for his sons, bound himself and threw himself in, and rose again freed of his bonds.

Verse 10 (3.132.10)

काश्मीरमण्डलं चैतत्सर्वपुण्यमरिंदम । महर्षिभिश्चाध्युषितं पश्येदं भ्रातृभिः सह ॥

kāśmīramaṇḍalaṃ caitatsarvapuṇyamariṃdama | maharṣibhiścādhyuṣitaṃ paśyedaṃ bhrātṛbhiḥ saha

And this is the land of Kashmir, holy throughout, tamer of foes, where great seers dwell. Look at it with your brothers.

Verse 11 (3.132.11)

यत्रौत्तराणां सर्वेषामृषीणां नाहुषस्य च । अग्नेश्चैवात्र संवादः काश्यपस्य च भारत ॥

yatrauttarāṇāṃ sarveṣāmṛṣīṇāṃ nāhuṣasya ca | agneścaivātra saṃvādaḥ kāśyapasya ca bhārata

Here took place the dialogue of all the northern seers with the son of Nahusha, and of Agni with Kashyapa, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Corrected काश्यपश्य → काश्यपस्य (misprint in Wikisource; श for the genitive ending स्य; the critical edition reads kāśyapasya).

Verse 12 (3.132.12)

एतद्द्वारं महाराज मानसस्य प्रकाशते । वर्षमस्य गिरेर्मध्ये रामेण श्रीमता कृतम् ॥

etaddvāraṃ mahārāja mānasasya prakāśate | varṣamasya girermadhye rāmeṇa śrīmatā kṛtam

Here shines the gateway to Lake Manasa, great king. In the midst of this mountain the illustrious Rama made a dwelling-place.

Verse 13 (3.132.13)

एष वातिकषण्डो वै प्रख्यातः सत्यविक्रमः । नात्यवर्तत यद्द्वारं विदेहादुत्तरं च यः ॥

eṣa vātikaṣaṇḍo vai prakhyātaḥ satyavikramaḥ | nātyavartata yaddvāraṃ videhāduttaraṃ ca yaḥ

This is the renowned Vatikashanda, true in its power, which never passed beyond the gateway that lies to the north of Videha.

Verse 14 (3.132.14)

इदमाश्चर्यमपरं देशेऽस्मिन्पुरुषर्षभ । क्षीणे युगे तु कौन्तेय शर्वस्य सह पार्षदैः । सहोमया च भवति दर्शनं कामरूपिणः ॥

idamāścaryamaparaṃ deśe'sminpuruṣarṣabha | kṣīṇe yuge tu kaunteya śarvasya saha pārṣadaiḥ | sahomayā ca bhavati darśanaṃ kāmarūpiṇaḥ

Here is another wonder in this land, bull among men: when an age wanes, son of Kunti, Sharva, who takes whatever form he wishes, can be seen here with his attendants and with Uma.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records verses 14–16 in its apparatus as star passage 3.130.13d*0639 (this verse is lines 1–3).

Verse 15 (3.132.15)

अस्मिन्सरसि सत्रैर्वै चैत्रे मासि पिनाकिनम् । यजन्ते याजकाः सम्यक् परिवारं शुभार्थिनः ॥

asminsarasi satrairvai caitre māsi pinākinam | yajante yājakāḥ samyak parivāraṃ śubhārthinaḥ

At this lake, in the month of Chaitra, sacrificers seeking good fortune duly worship the bearer of the Pinaka bow, and his retinue, with sacrificial sessions.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); star passage 3.130.13d*0639, lines 4–5, in its apparatus.

Verse 16 (3.132.16)

अत्रोपस्पृश्य सरसि श्रद्दधानो जितेन्द्रियः । क्षीणपापः शुभाँल्लोकान्प्राप्नुते नात्र संशयः ॥

atropaspṛśya sarasi śraddadhāno jitendriyaḥ | kṣīṇapāpaḥ śubhām̐llokānprāpnute nātra saṃśayaḥ

Whoever touches the water of this lake with faith and with senses controlled is freed of sin and reaches the bright worlds; of this there is no doubt.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); star passage 3.130.13d*0639, lines 6–7, in its apparatus.

Verse 17 (3.132.17)

एष उज्जानको नाम पावकिर्यत्र शान्तवान् । अरुन्धतीसहायश्च वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः ॥

eṣa ujjānako nāma pāvakiryatra śāntavān | arundhatīsahāyaśca vasiṣṭho bhagavānṛṣiḥ

This is the place called Ujjanaka, where the son of Fire found peace, and the blessed seer Vasishtha too, with Arundhati beside him.

Verse 18 (3.132.18)

ह्रदश्च कुशवानेष यत्र पद्मं कुशेशयम् । आश्रमश्चैव रुक्मिण्या यत्राशाम्यदकोपना ॥

hradaśca kuśavāneṣa yatra padmaṃ kuśeśayam | āśramaścaiva rukmiṇyā yatrāśāmyadakopanā

And this is the lake Kushavan, where the lotus called Kusheshaya grows; and here is the hermitage of Rukmini, where she grew calm and laid her anger aside.

Verse 19 (3.132.19)

समाधीनां समासस्तु पाण्डवेय श्रुतस्त्वया । तं द्रक्ष्यसि महाराज भृगुतुङ्गं महागिरिम् ॥

samādhīnāṃ samāsastu pāṇḍaveya śrutastvayā | taṃ drakṣyasi mahārāja bhṛgutuṅgaṃ mahāgirim

You have heard, son of Pandu, of the place that holds all meditation in brief. That you will now see, great king: the great mountain Bhrigutunga.

Note on the text: Corrected भृगुतुन्दं → भृगुतुङ्गं (misprint in Wikisource; the mountain is Bhrigutunga, and the critical edition reads bhṛgutuṅgaṃ).

Verse 20 (3.132.20)

वितस्तां पश्य राजेन्द्र सर्वपापप्रमोचनीम् । महर्षिभिश्चाध्युषितां शीततोयां सुनिर्मलाम् ॥

vitastāṃ paśya rājendra sarvapāpapramocanīm | maharṣibhiścādhyuṣitāṃ śītatoyāṃ sunirmalām

Behold the Vitasta, lord of kings, which frees from every sin, cool-watered and clear, where great seers dwell.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as star passage 3.130.10d*0638, after the verse on Kashmir.

Verse 21 (3.132.21)

जलां चोपजलां चैव यमुनामभितो नदीम् । उशीनरो वै यत्रेष्ट्वा वासवादत्यरिच्यत ॥

jalāṃ copajalāṃ caiva yamunāmabhito nadīm | uśīnaro vai yatreṣṭvā vāsavādatyaricyata

See the Jala and the Upajala, the rivers on either side of the Yamuna, where Ushinara sacrificed and surpassed Vasava.

Verse 22 (3.132.22)

तां देवसमितिं तस्य वासवश्च विशांपते । अभ्यागच्छन्नृपवरं ज्ञातुमग्निश्च भारत ॥

tāṃ devasamitiṃ tasya vāsavaśca viśāṃpate | abhyāgacchannṛpavaraṃ jñātumagniśca bhārata

To that royal assembly of his, lord of the people, came Vasava, and Agni too, O Bharata, to find out the worth of that best of kings.

Verse 23 (3.132.23)

जिज्ञासमानौ वरदौ महात्मानमुशीनरम् । इन्द्रः श्येनः कपोतोऽग्निर्भूत्वा यज्ञेऽभिजग्मतुः ॥

jijñāsamānau varadau mahātmānamuśīnaram | indraḥ śyenaḥ kapoto'gnirbhūtvā yajñe'bhijagmatuḥ

Wishing to test the great-souled Ushinara, the two boon-granting gods came to his sacrifice, Indra as a hawk and Agni as a dove.

Verse 24 (3.132.24)

ऊरुं राज्ञः समासाद्य कपोतः श्येनजाद्भयात् । शरणार्थी तदा राजन्निलिल्ये भयपीडितः ॥

ūruṃ rājñaḥ samāsādya kapotaḥ śyenajādbhayāt | śaraṇārthī tadā rājannililye bhayapīḍitaḥ

Fleeing in fear of the hawk, the dove came to the king's thigh and hid there, O king, stricken with terror and seeking refuge.

Note on the text: Corrected उरुं → ऊरुं (misprint in Wikisource; ऊरु "thigh" has a long ū; the critical edition reads ūruṃ).