अध्यापनाय पुत्राणां पुरे तस्मिन्निवासितः । कर्णः कुन्त्या परित्यक्तो जातमात्रः शिशुर्यदा
He was settled in that city to teach the princes; Karna, abandoned by Kunti as a newborn child—
सूतेन पालितो नद्यां प्रान्तश्चाधिरथेन ह । दुर्योधनप्रियश्चाभूत्कर्णः शूरतमस्तथा
Was raised by the charioteer Adhiratha on the riverbank; Karna became very dear to Duryodhana and was exceedingly valiant.
परस्परं विरोधोऽभूद्भीमदुर्योधनादिषु । धृतराष्ट्रस्तु सञ्चिन्त्य क्लेशं पुत्रेषु तेषु च
There arose mutual enmity between Bhima, Duryodhana, and the others; Dhritarashtra, reflecting on the distress among his sons—
निवासं कल्पयामास पाण्डवानां महात्मनाम् । विरोधशमनायैव नगरे वारणावते
Arranged for the noble Pandavas to reside in the city of Varanavata, intending to quell the conflict.
दुर्योधनेन तत्रैव द्रोहाज्जतुगृहाणि वै । कारितानि च दिव्यानि प्रेष्य मित्रं पुरोचनम्
There, at Duryodhana’s command and out of deceit, houses of lac were constructed; he sent his friend Purochana as well.
श्रुत्वा जतुगृहे दग्धान्पाण्डवान्पृथया युतान् । पौत्रभावान्मुनिश्रेष्ठ मग्नोऽहं व्यसनार्णवे
Hearing that the Pandavas, along with Pritha, had been burned in the house of lac, O best of sages, I was plunged into an ocean of sorrow.
शोकातुरो भृशं शून्ये वने पश्यन्नहर्निशम् । दृष्टा मयैकचक्रायां पाण्डवा दुःखकर्शिताः
Tormented by grief, I wandered day and night in the desolate forest; there, in Ekachakra, I saw the Pandavas, worn by suffering.
ततस्तुष्टमनाश्चाहं जातः पार्थान्विलोक्य च । प्रेरितास्ते मया तूर्णं द्रुपदस्य पुरं प्रति
Then, seeing the sons of Pandu, my heart became joyful; I quickly sent them toward the city of Drupada.
ते गतास्तत्र दुःखार्ता विप्रवेषधराः कृशाः । मृगचर्मपरीधानाः सभायां संस्थितास्तदा
They went there, afflicted by sorrow, thin, dressed as Brahmins, clothed in deer skins, and stood in the assembly.
कृत्वा पराक्रमं जिष्णुः स जित्वा द्रुपदात्मजाम् । चक्रुर्विवाहं मानिन्या पञ्चैव मातृवाक्यतः
Having displayed his prowess, Arjuna won the daughter of Drupada; then, by their mother’s word, the five brothers married the noble lady.
दृष्ट्वा विवाहं तेषां तु मुदितोऽहं भृशं तदा । ततो नागाह्वये प्राप्ताः पाञ्चालीसहिता मुने
Seeing their marriage, I was greatly delighted; then, O sage, they arrived at Nagasahvaya together with the Panchalas.
निवासं खाण्डवप्रस्थं धृतराष्ट्रेण कल्पितम् । पाण्डवानां द्विजश्रेष्ठ वसुदेवसुतेन वै
Dhritarashtra arranged for the Pandavas, along with Krishna, son of Vasudeva, to reside at Khandavaprastha.
तर्पितः पावकस्तत्र विष्णुना सह जिष्णुना । राजसूयः कृतो यज्ञस्तदाहं मुदितोऽभवम्
There, Agni was gratified by Vishnu and Arjuna; the Rajasuya sacrifice was performed, and I was filled with joy.
दृष्ट्वाथ विभवं तेषां तथा मयकृतां सभाम् । दुर्योधनोऽतिसन्तप्तो दुरोदरमथाकरोत्
Then, seeing their prosperity and the assembly hall built by Maya, Duryodhana was deeply tormented and devised a wicked scheme.
दुर्द्यूतवेदी शकुनिरनक्षज्ञश्च धर्मजः । हृतं राज्यं धनं सर्वं याज्ञसेनी च क्लेशिता
At the evil dice game, Shakuni played, and though Yudhishthira did not know the deceit, the kingdom, all wealth, and Draupadi were lost and tormented.
वने द्वादश वर्षाणि पाण्डवास्ते विवासिताः । पाञ्चालीसहितास्तेन दुःखं मे जनितं भृशम्
The Pandavas, along with Draupadi, were exiled to the forest for twelve years; because of this, I suffered intense sorrow.
एवं नारद संसारे सुखदुःखात्मके भृशम् । निमग्नोऽहं भ्रमेणैव जानन् धर्मं सनातनम्
Thus, O Nārada, I am deeply immersed in this world, which is truly made of pleasure and pain, and though I know the eternal dharma, I wander in delusion.
कोऽहं कस्य सुतास्तेऽमी का माता किं सुखं पुनः । येन मे हृदयं मोहाद्भ्रमतीति दिवानिशम्
Who am I? Whose son are these? Who is the mother? What is happiness again? Because of delusion, my heart wanders day and night with such thoughts.
किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि सन्तोषो नाधिगच्छति । दोलारूढं मनो मेऽत्र चञ्चलं न स्थिरं भवेत्
What should I do? Where should I go? Contentment does not arise. My mind, caught on the swing of uncertainty, is restless and does not become steady.
सर्वज्ञोऽसि मुनिश्रेष्ठ सन्देहं मे निवर्तय । तथा कुरु यथाहं स्यां सुखितो विगतज्वरः
You are all-knowing, best of sages; remove my doubt. Do so in such a way that I may be happy and free from distress.
; दमयन्तीविवाहप्रस्ताववर्णनम् व्यास उवाच इति मे वचनं श्रुत्वा नारदः परमार्थवित् । मामाह च स्मितं कृत्वा पृच्छन्तं मोहकारणम्
Vyāsa said: Having heard my words, Nārada, knower of the highest truth, smiled and spoke to me, who was asking about the cause of delusion.
नारद उवाच पाराशर्य पुराणज्ञ किं पृच्छसि सुनिश्चयम् । संसारेऽस्मिन्विना मोहं कोऽपि नास्ति शरीरवान्
Nārada said: O son of Parāśara, knower of the Purāṇas, why do you ask with such certainty? In this world, no embodied being exists without delusion.
ब्रह्माविष्णुस्तथा रुद्रः सनकः कपिलस्तथा । मायया वेष्टिताः सर्वे भ्रमन्ति भववर्त्मनि
Even Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Sanaka, and Kapila—all are enveloped by Māyā and wander on the path of worldly existence.
ज्ञानिनं मां जनो वेत्ति भ्रान्तोऽहं सर्वलोकवत् । शृणु मे पूर्ववृत्तान्तं प्रब्रवीमि सुनिश्चितम्
People consider me a knower, but I too am deluded like all beings. Listen as I recount my previous story, which I will tell you with certainty.
दुःखं मया यथा पूर्वमनुभूतं महत्तरम् । स्वकृतेन च मोहेन भार्यार्थे वासवीसुत
How I previously experienced great suffering, caused by my own delusion for the sake of a wife, O son of Vāsavī, I will tell you.
एकदा पर्वतश्चाहं देवलोकान्महीतलम् । प्राप्तो विलोकनार्थाय भारतं खण्डमुत्तमम्
Once, I, Parvata, came down from the worlds of the gods to the earth, to behold the excellent land of Bhārata.
भ्रमन्तौ सहितावुर्व्यां पश्यन्तौ तीर्थमण्डलम् । पावनानि च स्थानानि मुनीनामाश्रमाञ्छुभान्
Wandering together on the earth, we observed the circles of holy places and the pure hermitages of sages.
शपथं देवलोकात्तु कृत्वा पूर्वं परस्परम् । चलितौ समयं चेमं सम्मन्त्र्य निश्चयेन वै
Having previously made a vow to each other in the world of the gods, we set out, having firmly agreed upon this arrangement.
चित्तवृत्तिस्तु वक्तव्या यादृशी यस्य जायते । शुभा वाप्यशुभा वापि न गोप्तव्या कदाचन
Whatever arises in the mind of either—whether auspicious or inauspicious—must always be spoken and never concealed.
भोजनेच्छा धनेच्छापि रतीच्छा वा भवेदपि । यादृशी यस्य चित्ते तु कथनीया परस्परम्
Whether it is a desire for food, wealth, or pleasure—whatever is in the mind—must be told to each other.