कारयामास विधिवत्पुत्राणां चौर्ध्वदैहिकम् । ददौ दानानि विप्रेभ्यो धृतराष्ट्रोऽम्बिकासुतः
He performed the funeral rites for the sons according to custom, and Dhritarashtra, son of Ambika, gave gifts to the Brahmins.
कृत्वौर्ध्वदैहिकं सर्वं गान्धारीसहितो नृपः । प्रविवेश वनं तूर्णं कुन्त्या च विदुरेण च
Having completed all the funeral rites, the king, together with Gandhari, quickly entered the forest, along with Kunti and Vidura.
सञ्जयेन परिज्ञातो निर्गतोऽसौ महामतिः । पुत्रैर्निवार्यमाणापि शूरसेनसुता गता
Recognized by Sanjaya, the wise one departed; though restrained by her sons, the daughter of Shurasena went.
विलपन्भीमसेनोऽपि तथान्ये चापि कौरवाः । गङ्गातीरात्परावृत्य ययुः सर्वे गजाह्वयम्
Bhimasena lamented, and so did the other Kauravas; turning back from the banks of the Ganga, they all went to Hastinapura.
ते गत्वा जाह्नवीतीरे शतयूपाश्रमं शुभम् । कृत्वा तृणैः कुटीं तत्र तपस्तेपुः समाहिताः
Having gone to the banks of the Jahnavi, to the auspicious hermitage of Shatayupa, they built a hut there with grass and practiced austerities with concentration.
गतान्यब्दानि षट् तेषां यदा याता हि तापसाः । युधिष्ठिरस्तु विरहादनुजानिदमब्रवीत्
Six years passed for them; when the ascetics departed, Yudhishthira, due to separation, spoke thus.
स्वप्ने दृष्टा मया कुन्ती दुर्बला वनसंस्थिता । मनो मे जायते द्रष्टुं मातरं पितरौ तथा
In a dream, I saw Kunti, weak and dwelling in the forest; my mind longs to see my mother and father as well.
विदुरं च महात्मानं सञ्जयं च महामतिम् । रोचते यदि वः सर्वान् व्रजाम इति मे मतिः
If you all desire, let us go to see Vidura, the great soul, and Sanjaya, the wise one; this is my thought.
ततस्ते भ्रातरः सर्वे सुभद्रा द्रौपदी तथा । वैराटी च महाभागा तथा नागरिको जनः
Then all the brothers, Subhadra, Draupadi, the blessed princess of Virata, and the citizens of the city gathered together.
प्राप्ताः सर्वजनैः सार्धं पाण्डवा दर्शनोत्सुकाः । शतयूपाश्रमं प्राप्य ददृशुः सर्व एव ते
The Pandavas, eager for a meeting, arrived with all the people and, reaching the hermitage of Shatayupa, saw everyone there.
विदुरो न यदा दृष्टो धर्मस्तं पृष्टवांस्तदा । क्वास्ते स विदुरो धीमांस्तमुवाचाम्बिकासुतः
When Vidura was not seen, Dharma questioned, 'Where is Vidura, the wise one?' The son of Ambika replied to him.
विरक्तश्चरते क्षत्ता निरीहो निष्परिग्रहः । कुतोऽप्येकान्तसंवासी ध्यायतेऽन्तः सनातनम्
The charioteer wanders detached, indifferent, and without possessions; dwelling in solitude, he meditates inwardly upon the eternal.
गङ्गां गच्छन्द्वितीयेऽह्नि वने राजा युधिष्ठिरः । ददर्श विदुरं क्षामं तपसा संशितव्रतम्
On the second day, while going to the Ganga in the forest, King Yudhishthira saw Vidura, emaciated and firm in his austerities.
दृष्ट्वोवाच महीपालो वन्देऽहं त्वां युधिष्ठिरः । तस्थौ श्रुत्वा च विदुरः स्थाणुभूत इवानघः
Seeing him, the king spoke: 'I bow to you, Yudhishthira.' Hearing this, Vidura stood unmoving, like a statue, O sinless one.
क्षणेन विदुरस्यास्यान्निःसृतं तेज अद्भुतम् । लीनं युधिष्ठिरस्यास्ये धर्मांशत्वात्परस्परम्
In a moment, a wondrous radiance emerged from Vidura's face and merged into Yudhishthira's face, because of their shared essence of Dharma.
क्षत्ता जहौ तदा प्राणाञ्छुशोचाति युधिष्ठिरः । दाहार्थं तस्य देहस्य कृतवानुद्यमं नृपः
Then the charioteer gave up his life; Yudhishthira grieved greatly and the king made preparations for the burning of his body.
शृण्वतस्तु तदा राज्ञो वागुवाचाशरीरिणी । विरक्तोऽयं न दाहार्हो यथेष्टं गच्छ भूपते
As the king listened, a bodiless voice spoke: 'He is detached and not fit for burning; go as you wish, O king.'
श्रुत्वा ते भ्रातरः सर्वे सस्नुर्गङ्गाजलेऽमले । गत्वा निवेदयामासुर्धृतराष्ट्राय विस्तरात्
Hearing this, all the brothers bathed in the pure waters of the Ganga, then went and reported everything in detail to Dhritarashtra.
स्थितास्तत्राश्रमे सर्वे पाण्डवा नागरैः सह । तत्र सत्यवतीसूनुर्नारदश्च समागतः
All the Pandavas remained there in the hermitage with the citizens; there, the son of Satyavati and Narada also arrived.
मुनयोऽन्ये महात्मानश्चागता धर्मनन्दनम् । कुन्ती प्राह तदा व्यासं संस्थितं शुभदर्शनम्
Other great sages also came to the abode of Dharma; then Kunti spoke to Vyasa, who was present and auspicious in appearance.
कृष्ण कर्णस्तु पुत्रो मे जातमात्रस्तु वीक्षितः । मनो मे तप्यतेऽत्यर्थं दर्शयस्व तपोधन
Krishna, Karna is my son; I saw him just after his birth. My mind suffers greatly; show him to me, O possessor of austerity.
समर्थोऽसि महाभाग कुरु मे वाञ्छितं प्रभो । गान्धार्युवाच दुर्योधनो रणेऽगच्छद्वीक्षितो न मया मुने
You are capable, O blessed one; fulfill my desire, O lord. Gandhari spoke: 'Duryodhana went to battle; I did not see him, O sage.'
तं दर्शय मुनिश्रेष्ठ पुत्रं मे त्वं सहानुजम् । सुभद्रोवाच अभिमन्युं महावीरं प्राणादप्यधिकं प्रियम्
Show me my son, O best of sages, together with his younger brothers. Subhadra spoke: 'Abhimanyu, the great hero, is dearer to me than life.'
द्रष्टुकामास्मि सर्वज्ञ दर्शयाद्य तपोधन । सूत उवाच एवंविधानि वाक्यानि श्रुत्वा सत्यवतीसुतः
I wish to see him, O all-knowing one; show him to me today, O possessor of austerity. The charioteer said: 'Hearing such words, the son of Satyavati...'
प्राणायामं ततः कृत्वा दध्यौ देवीं सनातनीम् । सन्ध्याकालेऽथ सम्प्राप्ते गङ्गायां मुनिसत्तमः
Then, having performed breath control, he meditated upon the eternal Goddess; and when the time of twilight arrived, the eminent sage was at the Ganges.
सर्वांस्तांश्च समाहूय युधिष्ठिरपुरोगमान् । तुष्टाव विश्वजननीं स्नात्वा पुण्यसरिज्जले
He summoned all those, with Yudhishthira at their head, and praised the Mother of the Universe, having bathed in the sacred river's waters.
प्रकृतिं पुरुषारामां सगुणां निर्गुणां तथा । देवदेवीं ब्रह्मरूपां मणिद्वीपाधिवासिनीम्
He extolled Her as Nature, as the delight of Spirit, as possessed of attributes and beyond attributes, as the Goddess of gods, as the form of Brahman, dwelling in the jeweled isle.
यदा न वेधा न च विष्णुरीश्वरो न वासवो नैव जलाधिपस्तथा । न वित्तपो नैव यमश्च पावक- स्तदासि देवि त्वमहं नमामि ताम्
When neither the Creator, nor Vishnu, nor Shiva, nor Indra, nor the lord of waters, nor Kubera, nor Yama, nor Fire existed—then, O Goddess, You alone were; I bow to Her.
जलं न वायुर्न धरा न चाम्बरं गुणा न तेषां च न चेन्द्रियाण्यहम् । मनो न बुद्धिर्न च तिग्मगुः शशी तदासि देवि त्वमहं नमामि ताम्
When there was neither water, nor wind, nor earth, nor sky, nor their qualities, nor senses, nor mind, nor intellect, nor the sharp-rayed moon—then, O Goddess, You alone were; I bow to Her.
इमं जीवलोकं समाधाय चित्ते गुणैर्लिङ्गकोशं च नीत्वा समाधौ । स्थिता कल्पकालं नयस्यात्मतन्त्रा न कोऽप्यस्ति वेत्ता विवेकं गतोऽपि
Having gathered this world of living beings in Your mind, and withdrawn the subtle body with its qualities into absorption, You remain for the duration of a cycle, acting by Your own will; none, even those who have attained discernment, know You.