Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच गतेषु लोकपालेषु पार्थः शत्रुनिबर्हणः चिन्तयामास राजेन्द्र देवराजरथागमम्
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said : O king of kings, after the Lokapalas had gone away, Partha, the repressor of enemies, began to think of the chariot of the king of celestials.
ततश्चिन्तयमानस्य गुडाकेशस्य धीमतः रथो मातलिसंयुक्त आजगाम महाप्रभः
M. N. Dutt: While the intelligent (Arjuna) of controlled senses was thinking, the highly-effulgent car having Matali as its charioteer came there.
नभो वितिमिरं कुर्वञ्जलदान्पाटयन्निव दिशः संपूरयन्नादैर्महामेघरवोपमैः
M. N. Dutt: Making the sky devastated of darkness, dividing the clouds and filling the quarters with a sound resembling that of huge clouds.
असयः शक्तयो भीमा गदाश्चोग्रप्रदर्शनाः दिव्यप्रभावाः प्रासाश्च विद्युतश्च महाप्रभाः
AI Translation: The arrows, the missiles, the terrible clubs, the terrible displays, The divine powers, the javelins, the lightning bolts of great splendor,
तथैवाशनयस्तत्र चक्रयुक्ता हुडागुडाः वायुस्फोटाः सनिर्घाता बर्हिमेघनिभस्वनाः
AI Translation: And there were the same kinds of weapons, with wheels, with bells, with drums, with winds, with explosions, with thunder, with sounds like the clouds of the sacrificial fire.
तत्र नागा महाकाया ज्वलितास्याः सुदारुणाः सिताभ्रकूटप्रतिमाः संहताश्च यथोपलाः
M. N. Dutt: There (were) huge-bodied and fierce Nagas having fiery mouths heaps of stones white as the fleecy clouds.
दश वाजिसहस्राणि हरीणां वातरंहसाम् वहन्ति यं नेत्रमुषं दिव्यं मायामयं रथम्
M. N. Dutt: Ten thousand horses of golden colour gifted with the speed of wind drew that celestials car full of illusion (with such velocity) that hardly could the eye see it.
तत्रापश्यन्महानीलं वैजयन्तं महाप्रभम् ध्वजमिन्दीवरश्यामं वंशं कनकभूषणम्
M. N. Dutt: There he saw the greatly effulgent and blue flag-staff called Vaijayanta resembling the dark blue lotus and adorned with gold and straight as bamboo.
तस्मिन्रथे स्थितं सूतं तप्तहेमविभूषितम् दृष्ट्वा पार्थो महाबाहुर्देवमेवान्वतर्कयत्
M. N. Dutt: Beholding seated on that car a charioteer adorned with burning gold, the mighty-armed son of Pritha, considered it as belonging to the celestials.
तथा तर्कयतस्तस्य फल्गुनस्याथ मातलिः संनतः प्रश्रितो भूत्वा वाक्यमर्जुनमब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon while Falguni was thus thinking about the car, Matali, descending and bending himself low, said to Arjuna.
भो भो शक्रात्मज श्रीमाञ्शक्रस्त्वां द्रष्टुमिच्छति आरोहतु भवाञ्शीघ्रं रथमिन्द्रस्य संमतम्
M. N. Dutt: Matali said: O lucky one, O son of Shakra, Shakra wants to see you, ascend speedily this car sent by Indra.
आह माममरश्रेष्ठः पिता तव शतक्रतुः कुन्तीसुतमिह प्राप्तं पश्यन्तु त्रिदशालयाः
AI Translation: The best of the gods, your father Shatakratu, said to me: "Let the residents of the abode of the gods see the son of Kunti who has come here."
एष शक्रः परिवृतो देवैरृषिगणैस्तथा गन्धर्वैरप्सरोभिश्च त्वां दिदृक्षुः प्रतीक्षते
AI Translation: This Śakra, surrounded by the gods, by groups of sages, by gandharvas and apsarases, is waiting to see you.
अस्माल्लोकाद्देवलोकं पाकशासनशासनात् आरोह त्वं मया सार्धं लब्धास्त्रः पुनरेष्यसि
M. N. Dutt: By the command of the chastiser of Paka ascend with me from this region to that of the celestials and having obtained the weapon return therefrom.
अर्जुन उवाच मातले गच्छ शीघ्रं त्वमारोहस्व रथोत्तमम् राजसूयाश्वमेधानां शतैरपि सुदुर्लभम्
M. N. Dutt: Arjuna said : O Matali, go soon and make me ascend this best of cars that cannot be obtained even by a hundred Rajasuya and horse-sacrifices.
पार्थिवैः सुमहाभागैर्यज्वभिर्भूरिदक्षिणैः दैवतैर्वा समारोढुं दानवैर्वा रथोत्तमम्
M. N. Dutt: Even kings, rendered illustrious by scarifies accompanied with proper gifts, celestials of Danavas are not capable of riding this excellent car.
नातप्ततपसा शक्य एष दिव्यो महारथः द्रष्टुं वाप्यथ वा स्प्रष्टुमारोढुं कुत एव तु
M. N. Dutt: He who has not acquired ascetic merit is not capable of seeing and touching this excellent car far from riding it.
त्वयि प्रतिष्ठिते साधो रथस्थे स्थिरवाजिनि पश्चादहमथारोक्ष्ये सुकृती सत्पथं यथा
M. N. Dutt: O sage, after you have mounted it, after horses have become quiet, I will mount it like a pious man following the road of honesty.
वैशंपायन उवाच तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा मातलिः शक्रसारथिः आरुरोह रथं शीघ्रं हयान्येमे च रश्मिभिः
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said : Hearing his words, Matali, Shakra charioteer, speedily mounted the chariot and controlled the steeds with reins.
ततोऽर्जुनो हृष्टमना गङ्गायामाप्लुतः शुचिः जजाप जप्यं कौन्तेयो विधिवत्कुरुनन्दनः
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon Arjuna, the descendant of Kuru and the son of Kunti bathing in the Ganges and becoming purified and with a contented mind, duly repeated his customary prayers.
ततः पितॄन्यथान्यायं तर्पयित्वा यथाविधि मन्दरं शैलराजं तमाप्रष्टुमुपचक्रमे
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon duly and according to the ordinances offering oblation to the manes he began to invoke Mandara the king of mountains.
साधूनां धर्मशीलानां मुनीनां पुण्यकर्मणाम् त्वं सदा संश्रयः शैल स्वर्गमार्गाभिकाङ्क्षिणाम्
M. N. Dutt: “O you mountain, you are always the refuge of the pious and god-charactered sages seek in heaven.
त्वत्प्रसादात्सदा शैल ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया विशः स्वर्गं प्राप्ताश्चरन्ति स्म देवैः सह गतव्यथाः
M. N. Dutt: By your favour, mountain, the Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas attain to heaven and rid of afflictions sport with the celestials.
अद्रिराज महाशैल मुनिसंश्रय तीर्थवन् गच्छाम्यामन्त्रयामि त्वां सुखमस्म्युषितस्त्वयि
M. N. Dutt: O king of mountains, O great mountain, O you that contain sages and sacred shrines, I lived happily on you; I go today bidding you farewell.
तव सानूनि कुञ्जाश्च नद्यः प्रस्रवणानि च तीर्थानि च सुपुण्यानि मया दृष्टान्यनेकशः
M. N. Dutt: Many a time and often have I seen your table-lands and bowers, your springs and rivulets and your sacred shrines.
Supplementary Passages:
3.43.25 After 25, K1.2 B D (except D1-3) S ins.: *188 फलानि च सुगन्धीनि भक्षितानि ततस्ततः सुसुगन्धाश्च वार्योघास्त्वच्छरीरविनिःसृताः अमृतास्वादनीया मे पीताः प्रस्रवणोदकाः शिशुर्यथा पितुरङ्के सुसुखं वर्तते नग तथा तवाङ्के ललितं शैलराज मया प्रभो अप्सरोगणसंकीर्णे ब्रह्मघोषानुनादिते सुखमस्म्युषितः शैल तव सानुषु नित्यदा
एवमुक्त्वार्जुनः शैलमामन्त्र्य परवीरहा आरुरोह रथं दिव्यं द्योतयन्निव भास्करः
M. N. Dutt: Having thus welcomed and said to the mountain, Arjuna, the slayer of hostile heroes, blazing like the sun, ascended the celestials car.
स तेनादित्यरूपेण दिव्येनाद्भुतकर्मणा ऊर्ध्वमाचक्रमे धीमान्प्रहृष्टः कुरुनन्दनः
M. N. Dutt: And that intelligent descendant of Kuru, with a delighted heart coursed through the welkin in that car of wonderful deeds resembling the sun in its form. And coming within the view of pious mortals.
सोऽदर्शनपथं यात्वा मर्त्यानां भूमिचारिणाम् ददर्शाद्भुतरूपाणि विमानानि सहस्रशः
AI Translation: Having gone to the unseen path of the earth-walking mortals, he saw thousands of wondrous-looking aerial chariots.
न तत्र सूर्यः सोमो वा द्योतते न च पावकः स्वयैव प्रभया तत्र द्योतन्ते पुण्यलब्धया
AI Translation: The sun, the moon, or fire do not shine there. They shine there by their own radiance, attained through merit.
तारारूपाणि यानीह दृश्यन्ते द्युतिमन्ति वै दीपवद्विप्रकृष्टत्वादणूनि सुमहान्त्यपि
AI Translation: The stars that are seen here, which are radiant, are like lamps, though they are very large, they are small due to distance.
तानि तत्र प्रभास्वन्ति रूपवन्ति च पाण्डवः ददर्श स्वेषु धिष्ण्येषु दीप्तिमन्ति स्वयार्चिषा
AI Translation: The Pandava saw those shining and beautiful things in his own sacrificial ground, shining with their own radiance.
तत्र राजर्षयः सिद्धा वीराश्च निहता युधि तपसा च जितस्वर्गाः संपेतुः शतसंघशः
AI Translation: There the royal sages, the Siddhas, and the heroes were slain in battle. And those who had conquered heaven by asceticism assembled in hundreds of groups.
गन्धर्वाणां सहस्राणि सूर्यज्वलनतेजसाम् गुह्यकानामृषीणां च तथैवाप्सरसां गणाः
AI Translation: Thousands of gandharvas, with the brilliance of the sun and fire, And groups of guhyakas, rishis, and apsaras.
लोकानात्मप्रभान्पश्यन्फल्गुनो विस्मयान्वितः पप्रच्छ मातलिं प्रीत्या स चाप्येनमुवाच ह
AI Translation: Seeing the worlds as the self-radiant, Phalguna, full of wonder, asked Matali with affection, and he also spoke to him.
एते सुकृतिनः पार्थ स्वेषु धिष्ण्येष्ववस्थिताः यान्दृष्टवानसि विभो तारारूपाणि भूतले
M. N. Dutt: Accosted Matali, who gladly replied, saying, "These are pious persons, O son of Pritha, stationed in their respective spheres, whom, you have seen, O lord, from the earth in the form of stars."
ततोऽपश्यत्स्थितं द्वारि सितं वैजयिनं गजम् ऐरावतं चतुर्दन्तं कैलासमिव शृङ्गिणम्
AI Translation: Then he saw the white elephant, the banner of victory, standing at the door, Airavata with four tusks, like Kailasa with its peaks.
स सिद्धमार्गमाक्रम्य कुरुपाण्डवसत्तमः व्यरोचत यथा पूर्वं मान्धाता पार्थिवोत्तमः
AI Translation: Having ascended the path of the Siddhas, the best of the Kurus and Pandavas shone forth like the best of kings, Mandhata, in the past.
अतिचक्राम लोकान्स राज्ञां राजीवलोचनः ततो ददर्श शक्रस्य पुरीं ताममरावतीम्
AI Translation: The lotus-eyed one went beyond the worlds of the kings. Then he saw the city of Indra, Amaravati.
Supplementary Passages:
3.43.38 After 38ab, K2 B D (except D1-3) ins.: *189 एवं स संक्रमंस्तत्र स्वर्गलोके महायशाः