वसुदेवस्तु तच्छ्रुत्वा देहत्यागं हरेरथ । जहौ प्राणाञ्छुचीन्कृत्वा चित्ते श्रीभुवनेश्वरीम्
Vasudeva, upon hearing of Hari's departure from his body, relinquished his own life, having purified himself and meditated upon the glorious Lady of the Worlds.
अर्जुनस्तु ततो गत्वा प्रभासे चातिदुःखितः । संस्कारं तत्र सर्वेषां यथायोग्यं चकार ह
Then Arjuna, greatly distressed, went to Prabhasa and performed the proper funeral rites for all.
समीक्ष्याथ हरेर्देहं कृत्वा काष्ठस्य सञ्चयम् । अष्टाभिः सह पत्नीभिर्दाहयामास पार्थिवः
Then, having examined Hari’s body and gathered a pile of wood, the king, together with his eight wives, set it alight.
देहं रामस्य रेवत्या सह दग्ध्वा विभावसौ । अर्जुनो द्वारकामेत्य पुरान्निष्क्रामयज्जनम्
Having burned the body of Rāma along with Revati in the fire, Arjuna went to Dvārakā and led the people out of the city.
पुरी सा वासुदेवस्य प्लावितोदधिना ततः । अर्जुनः सर्वलोकान्वै गृहीत्वा निर्गतस्तदा
That city of Vāsudeva was then flooded by the ocean; Arjuna took all the people and departed from there.
कृष्णपत्न्यस्तदा मार्गे चौराभीरैश्च लुण्ठिता । धनं सर्वं गृहीतं च निस्तेजश्चार्जुनोऽभवत्
On the way, Kṛṣṇa’s wives were plundered by thieves and cowherds; all their wealth was seized, and Arjuna became powerless.
इन्द्रप्रस्थे समागत्य वज्रो राजा कृतस्तदा । अनिरुद्धसुतो नाम्ना पार्थेनामिततेजसा
Coming to Indraprastha, Vajra was then made king—Aniruddha’s son—by Arjuna, whose power was now diminished.
व्यासाय कथितं दुःखं तेनोक्तोऽसौ महारथः । पुनर्यदा हरिस्त्वञ्च भवितासि महामते
He told Vyāsa of his sorrow, and that great chariot-warrior was told, ‘When Hari and you are born again, O wise one,’
तदा तेजस्तवात्युग्रं भविष्यति पुनर्युगे । तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं पार्थो गत्वा नागपुरेऽर्जुनः
‘Then your energy will again be exceedingly great in the next age.’ Hearing these words, Pārtha went to Nāgapura.
दुःखितो धर्मराजानं वृत्तान्तं सर्वमब्रवीत् । देहत्यागं हरेः श्रुत्वा यादवानां क्षयं तथा
Afflicted, Arjuna told King Yudhiṣṭhira all that had happened—the death of Hari and the destruction of the Yādavas.
गमनाय मतिं चक्रे राजा हैमाचलं प्रति । षट्त्रिंशद्वार्षिकं राज्ये स्थापयित्वोत्तरासुतम्
The king resolved to depart for the golden mountain, installing his son, the son of Uttarā, on the throne for thirty-six years.
निर्जगाम वनं राजा द्रौपद्या भ्रातृभिः सह । षट्त्रिंशच्चैव वर्षाणि कृत्वा राज्यं गजाह्वये
The king went to the forest with Draupadī and his brothers, having ruled at Hastināpura for thirty-six years.
गत्वा हिमाचले षट् ते जहुः प्राणान्पृथासुताः । परीक्षिदपि राजर्षिः प्रजाः सर्वाः सुधार्मिकः
Reaching the Himalayas, the six sons of Pṛthā gave up their lives; and Parīkṣit, the royal sage, righteously protected all the people.
अपालयच्च राजेन्द्रः षष्टिवर्षाण्यतन्द्रितः । बभूव मृगयाशीलो जगाम च वनं महत्
That king, untiring, ruled for sixty years; he became fond of hunting and entered the great forest.
विद्धं मृगं विचिन्वानो मध्याह्ने भूपतिः स्वयम् । तृषितश्च परिश्रान्तः क्षुधितश्चोत्तरासुतः
While searching for a wounded deer at midday, the king himself, the son of Uttarā, became thirsty, exhausted, and hungry.
राजा घर्मेण सन्तप्तो ददर्श मुनिमन्तिके । ध्याने स्थितं मुनिं राजा जलं पप्रच्छ चातुरः
Oppressed by heat, the king saw a sage nearby; the wise king saw the sage absorbed in meditation and asked him for water.
नोवाच किञ्चिन्मौनस्थश्चुकोप नृपतिस्तदा । मृतं सर्पं तदादाय धनुष्कोट्या तृषातुरः
The sage, remaining silent, did not reply; then the king, tormented by thirst, took a dead snake with the tip of his bow.
कलिनाविष्टचित्तस्तु कण्ठे तस्य न्यवेशयत् । आरोपिते तथा सर्पे नोवाच मुनिसत्तमः
His mind seized by Kali, he placed the snake on the sage’s neck; even when the snake was thus placed, the excellent sage did not speak.
न चचाल समाधिस्थो राजापि स्वगृहं गतः । तस्य पुत्रोऽतितेजस्वी गविजातो महातपाः
Absorbed in meditation, he did not move, and the king returned to his own house; the sage’s son, born of a cow and possessing great austerity,
महाशक्तोऽथ शुश्राव क्रीडमानो वनान्तिके । मित्राण्याहुश्च तत्पुत्रं पितुः कण्ठे तवाधुना
Mighty and powerful, while playing near the forest, heard from his friends, ‘Your father now has a snake on his neck.’
लम्भितोऽस्ति मृतः सर्पः केनापीति मुनीश्वर । तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा चुकोपातिशयं तदा
O great sage, someone said, 'A dead snake has been thrown upon him.' Hearing their words, he became extremely angry.
शशाप नृपतिं क्रुद्धो गृहीत्वाशु करे जलम् । पितुः कण्ठेऽद्य मे येन विनिक्षिप्तो मृतोरगः
Enraged, he took water in his hand and cursed the king, saying, 'By whom a dead snake was placed on my father's neck today—'
तक्षकः सप्तरात्रेण तं दशेत्पापपूरुषम् । मुनेः शिष्योऽथ राजानं समुपेत्य गृहे स्थितम्
'Takshaka will bite that sinful man within seven nights.' Then the sage's disciple approached the king, who was staying in his house.
शापं निवेदयामास मुनिपुत्रेण चार्पितम् । अभिमन्युसुतः श्रुत्वा शापं दत्तं द्विजेन वै
He reported to the king the curse pronounced by the sage's son. Hearing that the curse had been given by the brahmin,
अनिवार्यं च विज्ञाय मन्त्रिवृद्धानुवाच ह । शप्तोऽहं द्विजरूपेण मम द्वेषादसंशयम्
The son of Abhimanyu, realizing it was unavoidable, addressed his elder ministers: 'I have been cursed by a brahmin, surely out of enmity.'
किं विधेयं मयामात्या उपायश्चिन्त्यतामिह । मृत्युः किलानिवार्योऽसौ वदन्ति वेदवादिनः
'What should I do, O ministers? Consider some means here. For death, they say, is inevitable according to the Vedic teachers.'
यत्नस्तथापि शास्त्रोक्तः कर्तव्यः सर्वथा बुधैः । उपायवादिनः केचित्प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः
'Still, effort prescribed by scripture must always be made by the wise. Some thinkers say that means should be sought.'
विज्ञोपायेन सिध्यन्ति कार्याणि नेतरस्य च । मणिमन्त्रौषधीनां वै प्रभावाः खलु दुर्विदः
'With proper means, tasks are accomplished, not otherwise. The powers of jewels, mantras, and herbs are indeed hard to know.'
न भवेदिति किं तैस्तु मणिमद्भिः सुसाधितैः । सर्पदष्टा पुरा भार्या मुनेः सञ्जीविता मृता
'If nothing can be done by those who possess well-prepared jewels, then why did a sage's wife, once bitten by a snake and dead, return to life?'
दत्त्वार्धमायुषस्तेन मुनिना सा वराप्सराः । भवितव्ये न विश्वासः कर्तव्यः सर्वथा बुधैः
'That celestial nymph was revived by the sage, giving half his own life. Yet, when fate is strong, the wise should never trust it.'