Arjuna Ascends to Heaven

Verse 1 (3.42.1)

गतेषु लोकपालेषु पार्थः शत्रुनिबर्हणः । चिन्तयामास राजेन्द्र देवराजरथागमम् ॥

gateṣu lokapāleṣu pārthaḥ śatrunibarhaṇaḥ | cintayāmāsa rājendra devarājarathāgamam

When the guardians of the world had gone, Partha, destroyer of foes, began to think, O king of kings, of the coming of the chariot of the king of the gods.

Verse 2 (3.42.2)

तस्य चिन्तयमानस्य गुडाकेशस्य धीमतः । रथो मातलिसंयुक्त आजगाम महाप्रभः ॥

tasya cintayamānasya guḍākeśasya dhīmataḥ | ratho mātalisaṃyukta ājagāma mahāprabhaḥ

As wise Gudakesha was thinking of it, the chariot yoked by Matali arrived, blazing with great light,

Verse 3 (3.42.3)

नभो वितिमिरं कुर्वञ्जलदान्पाटयन्निव । दिशः संपूरयन्नादैर्महामेघरवोपमैः ॥

nabho vitimiraṃ kurvañjaladānpāṭayanniva | diśaḥ saṃpūrayannādairmahāmegharavopamaiḥ

clearing the sky of darkness and seeming to tear the clouds apart, filling the quarters with its roar, like the rumbling of great clouds.

Verse 4 (3.42.4)

असयः शक्तयो भीमा गदाश्चोग्रप्रदर्शनाः । दिव्यप्रभावाः प्रासाश्च विद्युतश्च महाप्रभाः ॥

asayaḥ śaktayo bhīmā gadāścograpradarśanāḥ | divyaprabhāvāḥ prāsāśca vidyutaśca mahāprabhāḥ

In it were swords, fearsome spears, maces terrible to behold, darts of divine power, and lightnings of great brilliance;

Verse 5 (3.42.5)

तथैवाशनयश्चैव चक्रयुक्तास्तुलागुडाः । वायुस्फोटाः सनिर्घाताः शङ्खमेघस्वनास्तथा ॥

tathaivāśanayaścaiva cakrayuktāstulāguḍāḥ | vāyusphoṭāḥ sanirghātāḥ śaṅkhameghasvanāstathā

thunderbolts too, and wheeled engines that hurl iron balls, and missiles that raise a blast of wind, with crashes of thunder, roaring like conches and clouds.

Verse 6 (3.42.6)

तत्र नागा महाकाया ज्वलितास्याः सुदारुणाः । सिताभ्रकूटप्रतिमाः संहताश्च यथोपलाः ॥

tatra nāgā mahākāyā jvalitāsyāḥ sudāruṇāḥ | sitābhrakūṭapratimāḥ saṃhatāśca yathopalāḥ

There were serpents in it, huge of body, with blazing mouths, most terrible, like heaps of white cloud, solid as rock.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (तत्रनागा → तत्र नागा).

Verse 7 (3.42.7)

दशवाजिसहस्राणि हरीणां वातरंहसाम् । वहन्ति यं नेत्रमुषं दिव्यं मायामयं रथम् ॥

daśavājisahasrāṇi harīṇāṃ vātaraṃhasām | vahanti yaṃ netramuṣaṃ divyaṃ māyāmayaṃ ratham

Ten thousand bay horses, swift as the wind, draw that divine chariot, made by magic, which dazzles the eye.

Verse 8 (3.42.8)

तत्रापश्यन्महानीलं वैजयन्तं महाप्रभम् । ध्वजमिन्दीवरश्यामं वंशं कनकभूषणम् ॥

tatrāpaśyanmahānīlaṃ vaijayantaṃ mahāprabham | dhvajamindīvaraśyāmaṃ vaṃśaṃ kanakabhūṣaṇam

On it he saw the banner Vaijayanta, deep blue and of great radiance, dark as the blue lotus, its staff adorned with gold.

Verse 9 (3.42.9)

तस्मिन्रथे स्थितं सूतं तप्तहेमविभूषितम् । दृष्ट्वा पार्थो महाबाहुर्देवराजमतर्कयत् ॥

tasminrathe sthitaṃ sūtaṃ taptahemavibhūṣitam | dṛṣṭvā pārtho mahābāhurdevarājamatarkayat

Seeing the charioteer standing in that chariot, adorned with refined gold, mighty-armed Partha took him for the king of the gods.

Verse 10 (3.42.10)

तथा तर्कयतस्तस्य फल्गुनस्याथ मातलिः । सन्नतः प्रस्थितो भूत्वा वाक्यमर्जुनमब्रवीत् ॥

tathā tarkayatastasya phalgunasyātha mātaliḥ | sannataḥ prasthito bhūtvā vākyamarjunamabravīt

As Phalguna was wondering thus, Matali bowed low, came forward and spoke these words to Arjuna:

Verse 11 (3.42.11)

भोभो शक्रात्मज श्रीमञ्शक्रस्त्वां द्रष्टुमिच्छति । आरोहतु भवाञ्शीघ्रं रथमिन्द्रस्य संमतम् ॥

bhobho śakrātmaja śrīmañśakrastvāṃ draṣṭumicchati | ārohatu bhavāñśīghraṃ rathamindrasya saṃmatam

"Ho, glorious son of Shakra! Shakra wishes to see you. Mount quickly this chariot, which Indra holds dear.

Note on the text: Corrected संभतम् → संमतम् (misprint in Wikisource; भ for म; the critical edition reads saṃmatam). Speaker set to मातलि: Matali's speech (verses 11–14) has no printed heading; verse 10 introduces it.

Verse 12 (3.42.12)

आह माममरश्रेष्ठः पिता तव शतक्रतुः । कुन्तीसुतमिह प्राप्तं पश्यन्तु त्रिदशालयाः ॥

āha māmamaraśreṣṭhaḥ pitā tava śatakratuḥ | kuntīsutamiha prāptaṃ paśyantu tridaśālayāḥ

The best of the immortals, your father of the hundred sacrifices, said to me: "Let the dwellers of heaven see the son of Kunti arrived here."

Verse 13 (3.42.13)

एष शक्रः परिवृतो देवैर्ऋषिगणैस्तथा । गन्धर्वैरप्सरोभिश्च त्वां दिदृक्षुः प्रतीक्षते ॥

eṣa śakraḥ parivṛto devairṛṣigaṇaistathā | gandharvairapsarobhiśca tvāṃ didṛkṣuḥ pratīkṣate

Here is Shakra, surrounded by the gods, by hosts of seers, by Gandharvas and Apsarases, waiting, eager to see you.

Verse 14 (3.42.14)

अस्माल्लोकाद्देवलोकं पाकशासनशासनात् । आरोह त्वं मया सार्धं लब्धास्त्रः पुनरेष्यसि ॥

asmāllokāddevalokaṃ pākaśāsanaśāsanāt | āroha tvaṃ mayā sārdhaṃ labdhāstraḥ punareṣyasi

At the command of the chastiser of Paka, ascend with me from this world to the world of the gods. Once you have gained the weapons, you will return."

Note on the text: Corrected मारोह → आरोह (misprint in Wikisource; as printed it would read मा आरोह "do not ascend", the opposite of the sense; the critical edition reads āroha).

Verse 15 (3.42.15)

मातले गच्छ शीघ्रं त्वमारोहस्व रथोत्तमम् । राजसूयाश्वमेधानां शतैरपि सुदुर्लभम् ॥

mātale gaccha śīghraṃ tvamārohasva rathottamam | rājasūyāśvamedhānāṃ śatairapi sudurlabham

"Matali, go quickly; mount first this best of chariots, which is hard to win even by hundreds of Rajasuya and horse sacrifices,

Verse 16 (3.42.16)

पार्थिवैः सुमहाभागैर्यज्वभिर्भूरिदक्षिणैः । दैवतैर्वा दुरारोहं दानवैर्वा रथोत्तमम् ॥

pārthivaiḥ sumahābhāgairyajvabhirbhūridakṣiṇaiḥ | daivatairvā durārohaṃ dānavairvā rathottamam

and which illustrious kings who sacrifice with lavish gifts, and gods and Danavas too, find hard to mount.

Verse 17 (3.42.17)

नातप्ततपसा शक्य एष दिव्यो महारथः । द्रष्टुं वाऽप्यथवा स्प्रष्टुमारोढुं कुत एव च ॥

nātaptatapasā śakya eṣa divyo mahārathaḥ | draṣṭuṃ vā'pyathavā spraṣṭumāroḍhuṃ kuta eva ca

One who has not practised austerity cannot even see this great divine chariot, or touch it; how then could he mount it?

Verse 18 (3.42.18)

त्वयि प्रतिष्ठिते साधो रथस्थे स्थिरवाजिनि । पश्चादहमथारोक्ष्ये सुकृती सत्पथं यथा ॥

tvayi pratiṣṭhite sādho rathasthe sthiravājini | paścādahamathārokṣye sukṛtī satpathaṃ yathā

When you, good friend, are in your place on the chariot and the horses are standing still, I will mount after you, as a man of merit steps onto the path of the good."

Note on the text: Corrected मतिष्ठिते → प्रतिष्ठिते and मुकृती → सुकृती (misprints in Wikisource; म for प्र and for स; the critical edition reads pratiṣṭhite and sukṛtī).

Verse 19 (3.42.19)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा मातलिः शक्रसारथिः । आरुरोह रथं शीघ्रं हयाञ्जग्राह रश्मिभिः ॥

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā mātaliḥ śakrasārathiḥ | āruroha rathaṃ śīghraṃ hayāñjagrāha raśmibhiḥ

Hearing his words, Matali, Shakra's charioteer, quickly mounted the chariot and took the horses in hand with the reins.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (तस्यतद्वचनं → तस्य तद्वचनं).

Verse 20 (3.42.20)

ततोऽर्जुनो हृष्टमना गङ्गायामाप्लुतः शुचिः । जजाप जप्यं कौन्तेयो विधिवत्कुरुनन्दनः ॥

tato'rjuno hṛṣṭamanā gaṅgāyāmāplutaḥ śuciḥ | jajāpa japyaṃ kaunteyo vidhivatkurunandanaḥ

Then Arjuna, son of Kunti, joy of the Kurus, glad at heart, bathed in the Ganga and, purified, recited his prayers according to rule.

Verse 21 (3.42.21)

ततः पितृन्यथान्यायं तर्पयित्वा यथाविधि । मन्दरं शैलराजं तमाप्रष्टुमुपचक्रमे ॥

tataḥ pitṛnyathānyāyaṃ tarpayitvā yathāvidhi | mandaraṃ śailarājaṃ tamāpraṣṭumupacakrame

Then, having offered libations to the ancestors in due order and as prescribed, he began to take leave of Mandara, king of mountains:

Verse 22 (3.42.22)

साधूनां पुण्यशीलानां मुनीनां पुण्यकर्मणाम् । त्वं सदा संश्रयः शैल स्वर्गमार्गाभिकाङ्क्षिणाम् ॥

sādhūnāṃ puṇyaśīlānāṃ munīnāṃ puṇyakarmaṇām | tvaṃ sadā saṃśrayaḥ śaila svargamārgābhikāṅkṣiṇām

"O mountain, you are ever the refuge of the virtuous, of men of holy conduct, and of sages of holy deeds who long for the road to heaven.

Note on the text: Speaker set to अर्जुन: Arjuna's farewell to the mountain (verses 22–28) has no printed heading; verse 21 introduces it.

Verse 23 (3.42.23)

त्वत्प्रसादात्सदा शैल ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया विशः । स्वर्गं प्राप्ताश्चरन्ति स्म देवैः सह गतव्यथाः ॥

tvatprasādātsadā śaila brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyā viśaḥ | svargaṃ prāptāścaranti sma devaiḥ saha gatavyathāḥ

By your grace, O mountain, Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas have always reached heaven and move there with the gods, free from sorrow.

Verse 24 (3.42.24)

अद्रिराज महाशैल मुनिसंश्रय तीर्थवन् । गच्छाम्यामन्त्रयित्वा त्वां सुखमस्म्युषितस्त्वयि ॥

adrirāja mahāśaila munisaṃśraya tīrthavan | gacchāmyāmantrayitvā tvāṃ sukhamasmyuṣitastvayi

King of mountains, great mountain, refuge of sages, rich in sacred fords: I take my leave of you and go. I have lived happily upon you.

Verse 25 (3.42.25)

तव सानूनि कुञ्जाश्च नद्यः प्रस्रवणानि च । तीर्थानि च सुपुण्यानि मया दृष्टान्यनेकशः ॥

tava sānūni kuñjāśca nadyaḥ prasravaṇāni ca | tīrthāni ca supuṇyāni mayā dṛṣṭānyanekaśaḥ

Your slopes and thickets, your rivers and springs, and your most holy fords I have seen many times over.

Verse 26 (3.42.26)

सुसुगन्धाश्च वार्योघास्त्वच्छरीरविनिःसृताः । अमृतास्वादसदृशाः पीताः प्रस्रवणोदकाः ॥

susugandhāśca vāryoghāstvaccharīraviniḥsṛtāḥ | amṛtāsvādasadṛśāḥ pītāḥ prasravaṇodakāḥ

I have drunk the fragrant streams of water that flow from your body, the waters of your springs, sweet as nectar.

Note on the text: Corrected वैर्योघास् → वार्योघास् and अमृतास्वादसृशाः → अमृतास्वादसदृशाः (misprints in Wikisource; वैर्य is not a word, the critical edition's apparatus reads vāryoghās; and a dropped akshara leaves सृशाः, read सदृशाः "like", which restores the eight syllables of the line). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has close variants of verses 26–28 as 3.43.25d*0188 (lines 2–7).

Verse 27 (3.42.27)

शिशुर्यथा पितुश्चाङ्के सुखं शेते तटे तथा । मया तवाङ्के ललितं शैलराज महाप्रभो ॥

śiśuryathā pituścāṅke sukhaṃ śete taṭe tathā | mayā tavāṅke lalitaṃ śailarāja mahāprabho

As a child sleeps happily in its father's lap, so I have played on your slopes, in your lap, king of mountains, great lord.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); see verse 26.

Verse 28 (3.42.28)

अप्सरोगणसंकीर्णे ब्रह्मघोषानुनादिते । सुखमस्म्युषितः शैल तव सानुषु नित्यदा ॥

apsarogaṇasaṃkīrṇe brahmaghoṣānunādite | sukhamasmyuṣitaḥ śaila tava sānuṣu nityadā

On your heights, thronged with hosts of Apsarases and echoing with the chanting of the Veda, I have lived happily at all times, O mountain."

Note on the text: Corrected संकीर्णए → संकीर्णे (misprint in Wikisource; a stray ए; the critical edition's apparatus reads saṃkīrṇe). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); see verse 26.

Verse 29 (3.42.29)

एवमुक्त्वार्जुनः शैलमामन्त्र्य परवीरहा । आरुरोह रथं दिव्यं द्योतयन्निव भास्करः ॥

evamuktvārjunaḥ śailamāmantrya paravīrahā | āruroha rathaṃ divyaṃ dyotayanniva bhāskaraḥ

Having spoken thus and taken leave of the mountain, Arjuna, slayer of enemy heroes, mounted the divine chariot, shining like the sun.

Verse 30 (3.42.30)

स तेनादित्यरूपेण दिव्येनाद्भुतकर्मणा । ऊर्ध्वमाचक्रमे धीमान्प्रहृष्टः कुरुनन्दनः ॥

sa tenādityarūpeṇa divyenādbhutakarmaṇā | ūrdhvamācakrame dhīmānprahṛṣṭaḥ kurunandanaḥ

In that divine chariot, bright as the sun and wondrous in its workings, the wise joy of the Kurus rose upward, full of delight.

Verse 31 (3.42.31)

सोऽदर्शनपथं यातो मर्त्यानां धर्मचारिणाम् । ददर्शाद्भुतरूपाणि विमानानि सहस्रशः ॥

so'darśanapathaṃ yāto martyānāṃ dharmacāriṇām | dadarśādbhutarūpāṇi vimānāni sahasraśaḥ

Passing beyond the sight of righteous mortals, he saw thousands of celestial cars of wondrous form.

Verse 32 (3.42.32)

न तत्र सूर्यः सोमो वा द्योतते न च पावकः । स्वयैव प्रभया तत्र द्योतन्ते पुण्यलब्धया ॥

na tatra sūryaḥ somo vā dyotate na ca pāvakaḥ | svayaiva prabhayā tatra dyotante puṇyalabdhayā

There neither sun nor moon shines, nor fire; things there shine by their own light, won through merit.

Verse 33 (3.42.33)

तारारूपाणि यानीह दृश्यन्ते द्युतिमन्ति वै । आकाशे विप्रकृष्टत्वात्तनूनि सुमहान्त्यपि ॥

tārārūpāṇi yānīha dṛśyante dyutimanti vai | ākāśe viprakṛṣṭatvāttanūni sumahāntyapi

The lights that are seen from here as stars, bright though they are, look tiny in the sky because of their distance, though they are very large.

Verse 34 (3.42.34)

तानि तत्र प्रभास्वन्ति रूपवन्ति च पाण्डवः । ददर्श स्वेषु धिष्ण्येषु दीप्तिमन्ति स्वयाऽर्चिषा ॥

tāni tatra prabhāsvanti rūpavanti ca pāṇḍavaḥ | dadarśa sveṣu dhiṣṇyeṣu dīptimanti svayā'rciṣā

These the son of Pandu saw there, radiant and beautiful, each in its own station, shining with its own light.

Verse 35 (3.42.35)

तत्र राजर्षयः सिद्धा वीराश्च निहता युधि । तपसा च जितं स्वर्गं संपेतुः शतसङ्घशः ॥

tatra rājarṣayaḥ siddhā vīrāśca nihatā yudhi | tapasā ca jitaṃ svargaṃ saṃpetuḥ śatasaṅghaśaḥ

There royal sages and Siddhas, heroes slain in battle and those who had won heaven by austerity, gathered in hundreds of throngs.

Verse 36 (3.42.36)

गन्धर्वाणां सहस्राणि सूर्यज्वलिततेजसाम् । गुह्यकानामृषीणां च तथैवाप्सरसां गणान् ॥

gandharvāṇāṃ sahasrāṇi sūryajvalitatejasām | guhyakānāmṛṣīṇāṃ ca tathaivāpsarasāṃ gaṇān

He saw thousands of Gandharvas, blazing with the splendour of the sun, and the hosts of Guhyakas, of seers and of Apsarases.

Note on the text: Corrected मूर्यज्वलिततेजसाम् → सूर्यज्वलिततेजसाम् (misprint in Wikisource; म for स; the critical edition reads sūrya-) and गुह्यकारनामृषीणां → गुह्यकानामृषीणां (a stray र; the critical edition reads guhyakānām).

Verse 37 (3.42.37)

लोकानात्मप्रभान्पश्यन्फल्गुनो विस्मयान्वितः । पप्रच्छ मातलिं प्रीत्या स चाप्येनमुवाच ह ॥

lokānātmaprabhānpaśyanphalguno vismayānvitaḥ | papraccha mātaliṃ prītyā sa cāpyenamuvāca ha

Seeing those self-luminous worlds, Phalguna, full of wonder, questioned Matali in friendly fashion, and Matali answered him:

Verse 38 (3.42.38)

एते सुकृतिनः पार्थ स्वेषु धिष्ण्येष्ववस्थिताः । तान्दृष्टवानसि विभो तारारूपाणि भूतले ॥

ete sukṛtinaḥ pārtha sveṣu dhiṣṇyeṣvavasthitāḥ | tāndṛṣṭavānasi vibho tārārūpāṇi bhūtale

"These are men of good deeds, Partha, standing in their own stations, whom you have seen from the earth as stars, my lord."

Note on the text: Speaker set to मातलि: Matali's answer has no printed heading; verse 37 introduces it.

Verse 39 (3.42.39)

ततोऽपश्यत्स्थितं द्वारि मत्तं विजयिनं गजम् । ऐरावतं चतुर्दन्तं कैलासमिव शृङ्गिणम् ॥

tato'paśyatsthitaṃ dvāri mattaṃ vijayinaṃ gajam | airāvataṃ caturdantaṃ kailāsamiva śṛṅgiṇam

Then he saw, standing at the gate, the victorious elephant Airavata, in rut, with four tusks, like Kailasa with its peaks.

Verse 40 (3.42.40)

स सिद्धमार्गमाक्रम्य कुरुपाण्डवसत्तमः । व्यरोचत यथापूर्वं मान्धाता पार्थिवोत्तमः ॥

sa siddhamārgamākramya kurupāṇḍavasattamaḥ | vyarocata yathāpūrvaṃ māndhātā pārthivottamaḥ

Travelling the path of the Siddhas, that best of the Kurus and Pandavas shone as Mandhata, best of kings, once did.

Verse 41 (3.42.41)

अभिचक्राम लोकान्स राज्ञां राजीवलोचनः ॥

abhicakrāma lokānsa rājñāṃ rājīvalocanaḥ

The lotus-eyed one went on to the worlds of the kings.

Note on the text: A single line in Wikisource; it is the first line of CE 3.43.38 (where the critical edition reads aticakrāma for अभिचक्राम), and the next verse completes it.

Verse 42 (3.42.42)

एवं स संक्रमंस्तत्र स्वर्गलोके महायशाः । ततो ददर्श शक्रस्य पुरीं ताममरावतीम् ॥

evaṃ sa saṃkramaṃstatra svargaloke mahāyaśāḥ | tato dadarśa śakrasya purīṃ tāmamarāvatīm

Moving on thus in the world of heaven, the illustrious one then saw Indra's city, Amaravati.

Note on the text: Removed the square brackets and a stray danda around the first line (editorial marks in Wikisource). The second line is the last line of CE 3.43.38; the first line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; its apparatus has it as 3.43.38b*0189).