Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच नारदस्य तु तद्वाक्यं प्रशशंसुर्द्विजोत्तमाः शतयूपस्तु राजर्षिर्नारदं वाक्यमब्रवीत्
AI Translation: Vaishmapayana said The best of Brahmins praised Narada's words. But Shatayupa, the royal sage, spoke these words to Narada:
अहो भगवता श्रद्धा कुरुराजस्य वर्धिता सर्वस्य च जनस्यास्य मम चैव महाद्युते
AI Translation: "O Lord, the faith of King Śraddhākaruṇa has been increased, and that of all this people and of me, O greatly shining one."
अस्ति काचिद्विवक्षा तु मम तां गदतः शृणु धृतराष्ट्रं प्रति नृपं देवर्षे लोकपूजित
M. N. Dutt: I wish to ask you something. Listen to me as I say it. It is about king, Dhritarashtra,O celestial Rishi, that are adored of all the worlds.
सर्ववृत्तान्ततत्त्वज्ञो भवान्दिव्येन चक्षुषा युक्तः पश्यसि देवर्षे गतीर्वै विविधा नृणाम्
M. N. Dutt: You know the truth of every affair. Gifted with celestial vision, you behold, O twice-born Rishi, what the various ends are of human beings.
उक्तवान्नृपतीनां त्वं महेन्द्रस्य सलोकताम् न त्वस्य नृपतेर्लोकाः कथितास्ते महामुने
M. N. Dutt: You have said what the end has been of the kings mentioned by you, viz., association with the king of the celestials. You have not, however, O great Rishi, decured what those regions are which will be acquired by this king.
स्थानमस्य क्षितिपतेः श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यहं विभो त्वत्तः कीदृक्कदा वेति तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः
M. N. Dutt: O powerful one, I wish to hear from you what region will be acquired by the royal Dhritarashtra. You should tell me truly the kind of region that will be his and the time when he will attain to it.
इत्युक्तो नारदस्तेन वाक्यं सर्वमनोनुगम् व्याजहार सतां मध्ये दिव्यदर्शी महातपाः
M. N. Dutt: Thus addressed by him, Narada of celestial vision and endued with austere penances, said in the midst of the assembly these words highly agreeable to the minds of all.
यदृच्छया शक्रसदो गत्वा शक्रं शचीपतिम् दृष्टवानस्मि राजर्षे तत्र पाण्डुं नराधिपम्
M. N. Dutt: Going at my will to the palace of Shakra, I have seen Shakara the lord of Sachi; and there, O royal sage, I have seen king Pandu.
Supplementary Passages:
15.27.8 After 8, K3.4 ins.: *47 माद्र्या सह महात्मानमिन्द्रार्धासनसंस्थितम् युधिष्ठिरादिसत्पुत्रकृतपुण्योपबृंहितम्
तत्रेयं धृतराष्ट्रस्य कथा समभवन्नृप तपसो दुश्चरस्यास्य यदयं तप्यते नृपः
M. N. Dutt: There is a talk arose, O monarch, about this Dhritarashtra and those highly austere penaces which he is performing.
तत्राहमिदमश्रौषं शक्रस्य वदतो नृप वर्षाणि त्रीणि शिष्टानि राज्ञोऽस्य परमायुषः
M. N. Dutt: There I heard from the lips of Shakra himself that there are three years yet of the period of life of this king.
ततः कुबेरभवनं गान्धारीसहितो नृपः विहर्ता धृतराष्ट्रोऽयं राजराजाभिपूजितः
M. N. Dutt: After that, king Dhritarashtra, accompanied by his wife Gandhari, will go to the regions of Kubera and be highly honored by that king of kings. He will go there on a car moving at his will, his his body adorned with celestial ornaments.
कामगेन विमानेन दिव्याभरणभूषितः ऋषिपुत्रो महाभागस्तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषः
AI Translation: Adorned with divine ornaments, in a desire-granting celestial palace, The son of a sage, greatly fortunate, his sins burned away by austerities,
संचरिष्यति लोकांश्च देवगन्धर्वरक्षसाम् स्वच्छन्देनेति धर्मात्मा यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि
M. N. Dutt: He is the son of a Rishi; he is highly blessed; he has exhausted all his sins by his penances. Gifted with a righteous soul, he will roam at will through the regions of the celestials, the Gandharvas, and the Rakshasas. That about which you have enquired, is a mystery to the gods. Through my affection for you, I have said this high truth.
देवगुह्यमिदं प्रीत्या मया वः कथितं महत् भवन्तो हि श्रुतधनास्तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषाः
M. N. Dutt: You all are possessed of the wealth of Shrutis and have burnt all your sins by your penances.
इति ते तस्य तच्छ्रुत्वा देवर्षेर्मधुरं वचः सर्वे सुमनसः प्रीता बभूवुः स च पार्थिवः
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said Hearing these sweet words of the celestial Rishi, all the persons there assembled, as also king Dhritarastra became greatly pleased.
एवं कथाभिरन्वास्य धृतराष्ट्रं मनीषिणः विप्रजग्मुर्यथाकामं ते सिद्धगतिमास्थिताः
M. N. Dutt: Having cheered Dhritarashtra of great wisdom with such talk, they left the place, going away by the path that belongs to those who are crowned with success.