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.
प्रार्थयत्येष मां लोको मृतानां दर्शनं पुनः । नाहं क्षमोऽस्मि मातस्त्वं दर्शयाशु जनान्मृतान्
This world beseeches me for the sight of the departed; but I am not able, O Mother—You, quickly show the dead to the people.
सूत उवाच एवं स्तुता तदा देवी माया श्रीभुवनेश्वरी । स्वर्गादाहूय सर्वान्वै दर्शयामास पार्थिवान्
Suta said: Thus praised, the Goddess, the enchantress, the glorious Lady of the Worlds, summoned all from heaven and revealed the departed kings.
दृष्ट्वा कुन्ती च गान्धारी सुभद्रा च विराटजा । पाण्डवा मुमुदुः सर्वे वीक्ष्य प्रत्यागतान्स्वकान्
Seeing Kunti, Gandhari, Subhadra, and Virata's daughter, all the Pandavas rejoiced, beholding their kin returned.
पुनर्विसर्जितास्तेन व्यासेनामिततेजसा । स्मृत्वा देवीं महामायामिन्द्रजालमिवोद्यतम्
Then, released by Vyasa of immeasurable brilliance, they remembered the Goddess, the great enchantress, as if a wondrous illusion had arisen.
तदा पृष्ट्वा ययुः सर्वे पाण्डवा मुनयस्तथा । राजा नागपुरं प्राप्तः कुर्वन् व्यासकथां पथि
Then, having asked, all the Pandavas and the sages departed; the king reached Nagapura, recounting Vyasa's tale along the way.
रुरुचरित्रवर्णनम् सूत उवाच ततो दिने तृतीये च धृतराष्ट्रः स भूपतिः । दावाग्निना वने दग्धः सभार्यः कुन्तिसंयुतः
Suta said: On the third day thereafter, Dhritarashtra, the king, was burned in the forest by a wildfire, together with his wife and accompanied by Kunti.
सञ्जयस्तीर्थयात्रायां गतस्त्यक्त्वा महीपतिम् । श्रुत्वा युधिष्ठिरो राजा नारदाद्दुःखमाप्तवान्
Sanjaya, having gone on pilgrimage, abandoned the king; hearing this from Narada, King Yudhishthira was overcome with sorrow.
षट्त्रिंशेऽथ गते वर्षे कौरवाणां क्षयात्पुनः । प्रभासे यादवाः सर्वे विप्रशापात्क्षयं गताः
When thirty-six years had passed since the destruction of the Kauravas, all the Yadavas perished at Prabhasa, due to the curse of the Brahmins.
ते पीत्वा मदिरां मत्ताः कृत्वा युद्धं परस्परम् । क्षयं प्राप्ता महात्मानः पश्यतो रामकृष्णयोः
Having drunk wine and become intoxicated, they fought among themselves; those great souls met their end before Rama and Krishna's eyes.
देहं तत्याज रामस्तु कृष्णः कमललोचनः । व्याधबाणहतः शापं पालयन्भगवान्हरिः
Rama abandoned his body, and Krishna, lotus-eyed, fulfilled the curse, struck by a hunter's arrow, and departed as the blessed Hari.