कीर्तिं पुण्यामविन्दन्त यथा देवास्तपोबलात्। देवर्षयश्च कार्त्स्न्येन तथा त्वमपि वेत्स्यसि
Just as the gods attained blessed fame through the power of their austerities, and the divine sages in their entirety as well, so too shall you come to know it.
धार्तराष्ट्रास्त्वधर्मेण मोहिन च वशीकृताः। नचिराद्वै विनङ्क्ष्यन्ति दैत्या इव न संशयः
The sons of Dhritarashtra, led astray by unrighteousness and delusion, will soon be destroyed like the demons—of this there is no doubt.
ने तथा सहिता वीरा वसन्तस्तत्रतत्र ह। क्रमेण पृथिवीपाल नैमिषारण्यमागताः
Never before had such mighty heroes gathered together in one place, O protector of the earth, as came in succession to the Naimisha forest.
तत्स्तीर्थेषु पुण्येषु गोमत्याः पाण्डवा नृप। कृताभिषेकाः प्रददुर्गाश्च वित्तं च भारत
At those holy fords on the Gomati, O king, the Pandavas performed their ablutions and gave away cows and wealth, O descendant of Bharata.
तत्र देवान्पितॄन्विप्रांस्तर्पयित्वा पुनःपुनः। कन्यातीर्थेऽश्वतीर्थे च गवां तीर्थे च भारत
There, having repeatedly satisfied the gods, ancestors, and brahmins at the Kanyatirtha, Ashvatirtha, and the sacred ford of cows, O Bharata—
कालकोट्यां विपप्रस्थे गिरावुष्य च कौरवाः। बाहुदायां महीपाल चक्रुः सर्वेऽभिषेचनम्
At Kalakoti, Vipaprastha, and Giravusha, O Kaurava, and at Bahuda, O protector of the earth, they all performed ablutions.
प्रयागे देवयजने देवानां पृथिवीपते। ऊषुगप्लुत्य गात्राणि तपश्चातस्थुरुत्तमम्
At Prayaga, in the sacrifice to the gods, O lord of the earth, they bathed their bodies and undertook supreme austerities.
गङ्गायमुनयोश्चैव संगमे सत्यसंगराः। विपाप्मानो महात्मानो विप्रेभ्यः प्रददुर्वसु
At the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna, steadfast in truth, those great souls, free from sin, gave wealth to the brahmins.
तपस्विजनजुष्टां च ततो वेदीं प्रजापतेः। जग्मुः पाण्डुसुता राजन्ब्राह्मणैः सह भारत
Then, O king, the sons of Pandu, together with the brahmins, went to the altar of Prajapati, graced by ascetics.
तत्र ते न्यवसन्वीरास्तपश्चातस्थुरुत्तमम्। संतर्पयन्तः सततं वन्येन हविषा द्विजान्
There those heroes dwelled, performing supreme austerities, continually satisfying the twice-born with offerings from the forest.
ततो महीधरं जग्मुर्धर्मज्ञेनाभिसत्कृतम्। राजर्षिणा पुण्यकृता गयेनानुपमद्युते
Afterwards, they went to the sacred mountain, honored by the righteous king Gaya, whose splendor was unmatched.
नगो गयशिरो यत्र पुण्या चैव महानदी। वानीरमालिनी रम्या नदी पुलिनशोभिता
There is the mountain called Gayashirsha and the holy great river, the delightful Vanirama, adorned with lovely sandbanks.
दिव्यं पवित्रकूटं च पवित्रधरणीधरम्। ऋषिजुष्टं सुपुण्यं तत्तीर्थं ब्रह्मसरोतुलम्
There is the divine, pure summit, the sacred mountain, frequented by sages, supremely holy, that ford equal to the lake of Brahma.
अगस्त्यो भगवान्यत्र गतो वैवस्वतं प्रति। रउवास च स्वयं तत्र धर्मराजः सनातनः
There the venerable Agastya once went to meet Vaivasvata, and there the eternal king of righteousness himself resided.
सर्वासां सरितां चैव समुद्भेदो विशांपते। यत्रसंनिहितो नित्यं महादेवः पिनाकधृक्
O lord of men, there is the source of all rivers, where the great god Mahadeva, the bearer of the Pinaka, is ever present.
परिपूर्णः परंज्योतिः परमात्मा सनातनः। ब्रह्मादिभिरुपास्योऽयं भगवान्परमेश्वरः
He is complete, the supreme light, the eternal supreme soul, worshipped by Brahma and the others—this blessed supreme lord.
तं प्रणम्य महादेवं चतुर्वर्गफलप्रदम्। रसिद्धिक्षेत्रमिदं मत्वासर्वेषांमोक्षकाङ्क्षिणाम्
Having bowed to that great god, the bestower of the fruits of the four aims of life, considering this the field of success for all who seek liberation—
तत्र ते पाण्डवा वीराश्चातुर्मास्यैस्तदेजिरे। ऋषियज्ञेन महता यत्राक्षयवटो महान्। अक्षये देवयजने अक्षयं यत्रवै फलम्
There those heroic Pandavas performed the great four-month sacrifice, with a mighty offering to the sages, where the imperishable banyan stands, where the sacrifice to the gods is inexhaustible, and the reward is truly inexhaustible.
ये तु तत्रोपवासांस्तु चक्रुर्निश्चितमानसाः। ब्राह्मणास्तत्रशतशः समाजग्मुस्तपोधनाः
But those Brahmanas who undertook the fasts there with determined minds, hundreds of ascetics gathered at that place.
चातुर्मास्येनायजन्त आर्षेण विधिना तदा। तत्र विद्यातपोवृद्धा ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः। कथां प्रचक्रिरे पुण्यां सदसिस्था महात्मनाम्
At that time, they performed the Cāturmāsya sacrifice according to the ancient rule; there, Brahmanas advanced in knowledge and austerity, accomplished in the Vedas, recited sacred stories of the great souls while seated in the assembly.
तत्र विद्याव्रतस्नातः कौमारं व्रतमास्थितः। शमठोऽकथयद्राजन्नाधूर्तरजसं गयम्
There, one who had bathed after completing his vow of study, who had undertaken the vow from youth, Śamaṭha by name, O King, narrated the account of Gayā, son of Ādhūrtarajas.
आधूर्तरजसः पुत्रो गयो राजर्षिसत्तमः। पुण्यानि तस्य कर्माणि तानि मे शृणु भारत
Gayā, the best among royal sages, was the son of Ādhūrtarajas; listen to his meritorious deeds, O Bhārata.
यस्य यज्ञो बभूवेह बह्वन्नो बहुदक्षिणः। यत्रान्नपर्वता राजञ्शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
His sacrifice here was abundant in food and rich in gifts; there, O King, mountains of food, by the hundreds and thousands, were present.
घृतकुल्याश्च दध्नश्च नद्यो बहुशतास्तथा। व्यञ्जनानां प्रवाहाश्च महार्हाणां सहस्रशः
There were hundreds of rivers of ghee and curds, and thousands of streams of costly delicacies.
अहन्यहनि चाप्येवं याचतां संप्रदीयते। अन्ये च ब्राह्मणा राजन्भुञ्जतेऽन्नं सुसंस्कृतम्
Day after day, food was thus given to those who asked; and other Brahmanas, O King, ate well-prepared food.
तत्र वै दक्षिणाकाले ब्रह्मघोषो दिवं गतः। न च प्रज्ञायते किंचिद्ब्रह्मशब्देन भारत
At the time of the gifts, the sound of Vedic recitation rose to the heavens; nothing else could be heard but the voice of the Veda, O Bhārata.
पुण्येन चरता राजन्भूर्दिशः खं नभस्तथा। आपूर्णमासीच्छब्देन तदप्यासीन्महाद्भुतम्
As the pious king moved about, the quarters, the sky, and the firmament were filled with the sound of the full-moon sacrifice; that too was a great marvel.
यत्रस्म गाथा गायन्ति मनुष्या मरतर्षभ। अन्नपानैः शुभैस्तृप्ता देशे देशे सुवर्चसः
There, O bull among men, people sang songs, satisfied with excellent food and drink, shining in every region.
गयस्य यज्ञे के त्वद्य प्राणिनो भोक्तुमीप्सवः। तत्र भोजनशिष्टस्य पर्वताः पञ्चविंशतिः
Who among living beings today would wish to eat at Gayā's sacrifice? There, twenty-five mountains of leftover food remained.
न तत्पूर्वे जनाश्चक्रुर्न करिष्यन्ति चापरे। गयो यदकरोद्यज्ञे राजर्षिरमितद्युतिः
What was done by Gayā, the royal sage of immeasurable splendor, in his sacrifice, was never done by those before nor will be done by those after.