हिरण्यशृङ्गः सुमहान्महामणिमयो गिरिः। रम्यं बिन्दुसरो नाम यत्र राजा भगीरथः
There is the great mountain Hiraṇyaśṛṅga, made of precious gems, and the delightful lake called Bindusāra, where King Bhagīratha dwelt.
द्रुष्टुं भागीरथीं गङ्गामुवास बहुलाः समाः। यत्रेष्टं सर्वभूतानामीश्वरेण महात्मना
Desiring to see the Ganges, daughter of Bhagīratha, he stayed there for many years, where the great Lord, the ruler of all beings, performed sacrifices.
आहृताः क्रतवो मुख्याः शतं भरतसत्तम। यत्र यूपा मणिमयाश्चैत्याश्चापि हिरण्मयाः
O best of the Bharatas, there, a hundred chief sacrifices were performed, where the sacrificial posts were of jewels and the shrines were of gold.
शोभार्थं विहितास्तत्र न तु दृष्टान्ततः कृताः। यत्रेष्ट्वा स गतः सिद्धिं सहस्राक्षः शचीपतिः
They were made there for splendor, not as mere examples; there, having performed sacrifice, the thousand-eyed lord of Śacī attained success.
यत्र भूतपतिः सृष्ट्वा सर्वाँल्लोकान्सनातनः। अपस्यते तिग्मतेजाः स्थितो भूतैः सहस्रशः
There, the eternal Lord of beings, having created all the worlds, stands with blazing energy, seen together with thousands of beings.
नरनारायणौ ब्रह्मा यमः स्थाणुश्च पञ्चमः। उपासते यत्र परं सहस्रयुगपर्यये
There, Nara and Nārāyaṇa, Brahmā, Yama, and the fifth, Śthāṇu, worship the Supreme One through cycles of a thousand ages.
यत्रेष्टं वासुदेवेन सत्त्रैर्वर्षगणान्बहून्। श्रद्दधानेन सततं धर्मसम्प्रतिपत्तये
There, Vāsudeva performed sacrifices for many years, always with faith, for the establishment of righteousness.
सुवर्णमालिनो यूपाश्चैत्याश्चाप्यतिभास्वराः। ददौ यत्र सहस्राणि प्रयुतानि च केशवः
There, Keśava gave thousands and tens of thousands of golden-garlanded sacrificial posts and radiant shrines.
तत्र गत्वा स जग्राह गदां शङ्खं च भारत। `तस्माद्गिरेरुपादाय शिलाः सुरुचिरावहाः'। स्फाटिकं च सभाद्रव्यं यदासीद्वृषपर्वणः
Having gone there, O Bhārata, he took the mace and conch; and from that mountain he brought beautiful, lustrous stones, crystal, and the precious materials that once belonged to Vṛṣaparvan.
किङ्करैः सह रक्षोभिर्यदरक्षन्महद्धनम्। तदगृह्णान्मयस्तत्र गत्वा सर्वं महाऽसुरः
With the attendants and Rākṣasas who guarded that great treasure, Maya the great Asura went there and took it all.
तदाहृत्य च तां चक्रे सोऽसुरोऽप्रतिमां सभाम्। विश्रुतां त्रिषु लोकेषु दिव्यां मणिमयीं शुभाम्
Having brought it, that Asura made an incomparable assembly hall, renowned in the three worlds, divine, adorned with jewels, and auspicious.
गदां च भीमसेनाय प्रवरां प्रददौ तदा। देवदत्तं चार्जुनाय शङ्खप्रवरमुत्तमम्
Then he gave the excellent mace to Bhīmasena, and the supreme conch, Devadatta, to Arjuna.
यस्य शङ्खस्य नादेन भूतानि प्रचकम्पिरे। `स कालं कञ्चिदाश्वस्य विश्वकर्मा विचिन्त्य च
At the sound of whose conch all beings trembled—he, having considered for some time, entrusted it to Visvakarma for repair.
सभां प्रचक्रमे कर्तुं पाण्डवानां महात्मनाम्। अभिप्रायेण पार्थानां कृष्णस्य च महात्मनः
set about building an assembly hall for the great-souled Pāṇḍavas, according to the wish of the sons of Pṛthā and the great-souled Kṛṣṇa.
सर्वर्तुगुणसम्पन्नां दिव्यरूपामलङ्कृताम्। तर्पयित्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठान्पायसेन सहस्रशः। सभा च सा महाराज शातकुम्भमयद्रुमा
Endowed with all virtues, divine in form and adorned, after satisfying thousands of excellent Brāhmaṇas with milk-rice, that assembly hall, O great king, had trees of gold.
दशकिष्कुसहस्राणि समन्तादायताभवत्। यथा वह्नेर्यथार्कस्य सोमस्य च यथा सभा
It extended on all sides for ten thousand bows in length, like the assembly halls of Agni, Sūrya, and Soma.
भ्राजमाना तथाऽत्यर्थं दधार परमं वपुः। अभिघ्नतीव प्रभया प्रभामर्कस्य भास्वराम्
Shining exceedingly, it possessed supreme splendor, its radiance striking like the brilliant light of the sun.
प्रबभौ ज्वलमानेव दिव्या दिव्येन वर्चसा। नवमेघप्रतीकाशा दिवमाकृत्य विष्ठिता। आयता विपुला रम्या विपाप्मा विगतक्लमा
It blazed as if on fire, with divine brilliance; resembling a new cloud, it stood reaching the sky, vast, wide, delightful, flawless, and free from fatigue.
उत्तमद्रव्यसम्पन्ना रत्नप्राकारतोरणा। बहुचित्रा बहुधना सुकृता विश्वकर्मणा
Abounding in the finest materials, with gateways and walls of jewels, richly decorated, wealthy, and skillfully made by Viśvakarmā.
न दाशार्ही सुधर्मा वा ब्रह्मणो वाथ तादृशी। सभा रूपेण सम्पन्ना यां चक्रे मतिमान्मयः
Neither the Dāśārha’s Sudharmā nor even Brahmā’s was such an assembly hall in form as the wise Maya made.
तां स्म तत्र मयेनोक्ता रक्षन्ति च वहन्ति च। सभामष्टौ सहस्राणि किङ्करा नाम राक्षसाः
There, as told by Maya, eight thousand attendants called Rākṣasas guard and serve that assembly hall.
अन्तरिक्षचरा घोरा महाकाया महाबलाः। रक्ताक्षाः पिङ्गलाक्षाश्च शुक्तिकर्णाः प्रहारिणः
Moving through the sky, fierce, of great size and strength, with red and tawny eyes, shell-shaped ears, and skilled in combat.
तस्यां सभायां नलिनीं चकाराप्रतिमां मयः। वैदूर्यपत्रविततां मणिनालमयाम्बुजाम्
In that assembly hall, Maya created an incomparable lotus pond, its leaves fashioned from beryl, its lotus stalks and blossoms made of jewels.
पद्मसौगन्धिकवतीं नानाद्विजगणायुताम्। पुष्पितैः पङ्कजैश्चित्रां कूर्मैर्मत्स्यैश्च काञ्चनैः। चित्रस्फटिकसोपानां निष्पङ्कसलिलां शुभाम्
It was fragrant like lotuses and blue water-lilies, teeming with various flocks of birds, adorned with blooming lotuses, golden tortoises and fish, with splendid crystal stairways and pure, clear water.
मन्दानिलसमुद्धूतां मुक्ताबिन्दुभिराचिताम्। महामणिशिलापट्टबद्धपर्यन्तवेदिकाम्
Its waters were gently stirred by a soft breeze, scattered with drops of pearls, and its borders were lined with platforms of great gem slabs.
मणिरत्नचितां तां तु केचिदभ्येत्य पार्थिवाः। दृष्ट्वापि नाभ्यजानन्त तेऽज्ञानात्प्रपतन्त्युत
Some kings, approaching that jewel-adorned pond, even after seeing it, did not recognize it as artificial out of ignorance, and indeed fell in.
तां सभामभितो नित्यं पुष्पवन्तो महाद्रुमाः। आसन्नानाविधा लोलाः शीतच्छाया मनोरमाः
Around that hall always stood great flowering trees of many kinds, swaying gently, offering cool shade and delight.
काननानि सुगन्धीनि पुष्करिण्यश्च सर्वशः। हंसकारण्डवोपेताश्चक्रवाकोपशोभिताः
There were fragrant groves and lotus ponds everywhere, filled with swans and cranes, beautified by chakravaka ducks.
जलजानां च पद्मानां स्थलजानां च सर्वशः। मारुतो गन्धमादाय पाण्डवान्स्म निषेवते
The wind, carrying the fragrance of all the aquatic and terrestrial lotuses, would serve the Pandavas.
ईदृशीं तां सभां कृत्वा मासैः परिचतुर्दशैः। निष्ठितां धर्मराजाय मयो राजन्न्यवेदयत्
Having constructed such a hall in fourteen months, Maya reported its completion to King Yudhishthira.