ततस्तस्माद्विमानाग्र्यात्प्रच्युतश्च्युतलक्षणः। प्रपतन्बुबुधेऽऽत्मानं व्यालीभूतमधोमुखम्
Then, from that excellent celestial vehicle, I fell, losing my auspicious marks; as I was falling, I realized I had become a serpent, facing downward.
अयाचं तमहं विप्रं शापस्यान्तो भवेदिति। प्रमादात्संप्रमूढस्य भगवन्क्षन्तुमर्हसि
I begged that Brahmin, 'May there be an end to this curse; O venerable one, please forgive the error of my bewildered mind.'
ततः स मामुवाचेदं प्रपतन्तं कृपानवितः। युधिष्ठिरो धर्मराजः शापात्त्वां मोक्षयिष्यति
Then, as I was falling, he spoke to me with compassion: 'Yudhishthira, the king of righteousness, will release you from this curse.'
अभिमानस्य वै तस्य बलस्य च नराधिप। फले क्षीणे महाराज फलं पुण्यमवाप्स्यसि
O great king, when the fruit of that pride and strength of his is exhausted, you will obtain the blessed result.
ततो मे विस्मयो जातस्तद्दृष्ट्वा तपसो बलम्। ब्रह्म च ब्राह्मणत्वं च येन त्वाऽहमचूचुदम्
Then I was amazed, seeing the power of asceticism—by which I had been touched—of Brahman and the state of a Brahmin.
सत्यं दमस्तपो योगमहिंसा ज्ञाननित्यता। साधकानि सतां पुंसां न जातिर्नकुलं नृप
Truth, self-restraint, austerity, yoga, nonviolence, and constancy in knowledge—these are the means of the virtuous, O king, not birth or lineage.
अरिष्ट कएष ते भ्राता मुक्तो बीमो महाभुज। स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु महाराज गमिष्यामि दिवं पुनः
Your brother, the mighty-armed Bhima, is unharmed and freed; may good fortune be yours, O great king, I shall now return to heaven.
स चायं पुरुषव्याघ्र कालः पुण्य उपागतः। तदस्मात्कारणात्पार्थ कार्यं तन्मे महत्कृतम्
And now, O best of men, the auspicious time has arrived; therefore, O Partha, because of this, my great task has been accomplished.
ततस्तस्मिन्मुहूर्ते तु विमानं कामगामि वै। अवपातेन महता तत्रावाप तदुत्तमम्
Then, at that very moment, the wish-fulfilling celestial vehicle descended there with a great sound and reached that excellent place.
इत्युक्त्वाऽऽजगरं देहं मुक्त्वा स नहुषो नृपः। दिव्यं वपुः समास्थाय गतस्त्रिदिवमेव ह
Having spoken thus, King Nahusha cast off the serpent body, assumed a divine form, and departed to the heavenly realm.
युधिष्ठिरोपि धर्मात्मा भ्रात्रा भीमेन संगतः। धौम्येन सहितः श्रीमानाश्रमं पुनरागमत्
Yudhishthira, righteous-souled, reunited with his brother Bhima and accompanied by Dhaumya, the illustrious one returned again to the hermitage.
ततो द्विजेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः समेतेभ्यो यथातथम्। कथयामास तत्सर्वं धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः
Then, to all the assembled twice-born, Yudhishthira, the king of righteousness, recounted everything just as it had happened.
तच्छ्रुत्वा ते द्विजाः सर्वे भ्रातरश्चास्य ते त्रयः। आसन्सुव्रीडिता राजन्द्रौपदी च यशस्विनी
Hearing this, all those Brahmins, his three brothers, and the illustrious Draupadi were filled with modesty, O king.
ते तु सर्वेद्विजश्रेष्ठाः पाण्डवानां हितेप्सया। मैवमित्यब्रुवन्भीमं गर्हयन्तोऽस् साहसम्
But all those foremost of Brahmins, wishing for the welfare of the Pandavas, reproached Bhima, saying, 'Do not act so rashly.'
पाण्डवास्तु भयान्पुक्तं प्रेक्ष्य भीमं महाबलम्। हर्षमाहारयांचक्रुर्विजह्रुश्च मुदा युताः
But the Pandavas, seeing the mighty Bhima safe from danger, were filled with joy and embraced him with delight.
निदाघान्तकरः कालः सर्वभूतसुखावहः। तत्रैव वसतां तेषां प्रावृट् समभिपद्यत
The season ending the summer, bringing happiness to all beings, the rainy season, arrived as they continued to dwell there.
छादयन्तो महाघोषाः स्वं दिशश्च बलाहकाः। प्रववर्षुर्दिवारात्रमसिताः सततं तदा
The great clouds, resounding loudly, covered their own quarters and the directions, and poured down black rain continuously, day and night.
तपात्ययनिकेताश्च शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः। अपेतार्कप्रभाजालाः सविद्युन्मण्डप्रभाः
Hundreds and thousands of thunderclouds, devoid of the sun’s radiance, shone with the glow of lightning clusters.
विरूढशष्पा धरणी मत्तदंशसरीसृपा। बभूव पयसा सिक्ता शान्तधूमरजोगणा
The earth, grown over with grass and teeming with intoxicated insects and reptiles, became soaked with water, its dust and smoke subdued.
न स्म प्रज्ञायते किंचिदम्भसा समवस्तृते। समं वा विषमं वाऽपि नद्यो वा स्तावराणि वा
When everything was covered with water, nothing could be distinguished—whether level or uneven ground, rivers, or immovable things.
क्षुब्धतोया महावेगाः श्वसमाना इवाशुगाः। सिन्धवः शोभयांचक्रुः काननानि तपात्यये
The rivers, their waters agitated and swift as if breathing, adorned the forests at the end of the rainy season.
नदतां काननान्तेषु श्रूयन्ते विविधाः स्वनाः। वृष्टिभिस्ताड्यमानानां वराहमृगपक्षिणाम्
At the edges of the forests, various sounds were heard—the cries of boars, deer, and birds struck by the rain.
स्तोककाः शिखिनश्चैव पुंस्कोकिलगणैः सह। मत्ताः परिपतन्ति स्म दर्दुरश्चैव दर्पिताः
Peacocks in small groups, together with flocks of male cuckoos, intoxicated, began to fly about, and the frogs, too, croaked proudly.
तदा बहुविधाकारा प्रावृण्मेघानुनादिता। अभ्यतीता शिवा तेषां चरतां मरुधन्वसु
Then, as the rainy season echoed with the sounds of many forms of clouds, that auspicious time passed for those wandering the wilderness.
क्रौञ्चहंससमाकीर्णा शरत्प्रमुदीताऽभवत्। रूढकक्षवनप्रस्था प्रसन्नजलनिम्नगा
With cranes and swans filling the lakes and rivers, autumn arrived, delightful, with overgrown banks and clear-flowing streams.
विमलाकाशनक्षत्रा शरत्तेषां शिवाऽभषत्। मृगद्विजसमाकीर्णा पाण्डवानां महात्मनाम्
Autumn, auspicious and clear, shone for them, its sky pure and full of stars, teeming with animals and birds, for the great-souled sons of Pandu.
दृश्यन्ते शान्तरजसः क्षपाजलदशीतलाः। ग्रहनक्षत्रसङ्घैश्च सोमेन च विराजिताः
Nights, their dust settled, became cool with autumn clouds, adorned by groups of planets and stars and by the moon.
कुमुदैः पुण्डरीकैश्च शीतवारिधराः शिवाः। नदीः पुष्करिणीश्चैव ददृशुः समलंकृताः
They saw the rivers and lotus ponds, beautiful and adorned, filled with kumuda and lotus flowers and cool, clear water.
ते वै मुमुदिरे वीराः प्रसन्नसलिलां शिवाम्। पश्यन्तो दृढधन्वानः परिपूर्णां सरस्वतीम्
Those heroes rejoiced, seeing the auspicious Sarasvati, full and with clear waters, as they beheld her with their strong bows.
तेषां पुण्यतमा रात्रिः पर्वसन्धौ स्म शारदी। तत्रैव वसतामासीत्कार्तिकी जनमेजय
For them, dwelling there, the most sacred night of the autumnal full moon occurred at the junction of the lunar fortnight, O Janamejaya.