Critical Edition
लोमश उवाच एषा मधुविला राजन्समङ्गा संप्रकाशते एतत्कर्दमिलं नाम भरतस्याभिषेचनम्
M. N. Dutt: Lomasha said: O king, here is visible the river Samanga which is also called Madhubela. Yonder is Kardamela, the bathing place of Bharata.
अलक्ष्म्या किल संयुक्तो वृत्रं हत्वा शचीपतिः आप्लुतः सर्वपापेभ्यः समङ्गायां व्यमुच्यत
M. N. Dutt: When the lord of Sachi, (Indra) became devoid of his prosperity in consequence of killing Vritra, he was cleansed of his sins by bathing in the Samanga.
एतद्विनशनं कुक्षौ मैनाकस्य नरर्षभ अदितिर्यत्र पुत्रार्थं तदन्नमपचत्पुरा
M. N. Dutt: O foremost of men, here is the spot where the Mainaka has sunk into the interior of the earth. It is therefore called Vinasana. In order to obtain sons Aditi in the days of yore cooked his famous food.
एनं पर्वतराजानमारुह्य पुरुषर्षभ अयशस्यामसंशब्द्यामलक्ष्मीं व्यपनोत्स्यथ
M. N. Dutt: O foremost of men, ascend this lofty mountain and put an end to your inglorious misery which is not worthy of uttering.
एते कनखला राजनृषीणां दयिता नगाः एषा प्रकाशते गङ्गा युधिष्ठिर महानदी
M. N. Dutt: O king, yonder is the Kanakhala mountain, the favourite resort of the Rishis, O Yudhishthira, yonder is the great river Ganga.
सनत्कुमारो भगवानत्र सिद्धिमगात्पराम् आजमीढावगाह्यैनां सर्वपापैः प्रमोक्ष्यसे
M. N. Dutt: Here in the days of yore the holy sage Sanatkumara attained ascetic auccess. O descendant of Ajmira, if you bathe in it, you will be cleansed of all your sins.
अपां ह्रदं च पुण्याख्यं भृगुतुङ्गं च पर्वतम् तूष्णीं गङ्गां च कौन्तेय सामात्यः समुपस्पृश
M. N. Dutt: O son of Kunti, touch with your ministers this lake, called Punya and this Bhrigutunga (mountain) and also these two rivers called Tashniganga.
आश्रमः स्थूलशिरसो रमणीयः प्रकाशते अत्र मानं च कौन्तेय क्रोधं चैव विवर्जय
M. N. Dutt: O son of Kunti, yonder is the charming hermitage of Sulasherasha. Abandon your anger and sense of self-importance.
एष रैभ्याश्रमः श्रीमान्पाण्डवेय प्रकाशते भारद्वाजो यत्र कविर्यवक्रीतो व्यनश्यत
M. N. Dutt: O son of Pandu, yonder is the beautiful hermitage of Raivya where died the son of Bharadvaja, Yavakrit, learned in the Vedas.
Supplementary Passages:
3.135.9 After 9ab, D5 ins.: *663 नानापुष्पसमाकीर्णः फलपुष्पोपशोभितः नानाविहगसंघुष्टस्तापसालय उत्तमः रैभ्यस्यैष महाराज आश्रमः पुण्यकर्मणः
युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथंयुक्तोऽभवदृषिर्भरद्वाजः प्रतापवान् किमर्थं च यवक्रीत ऋषिपुत्रो व्यनश्यत
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said: How did the mighty sage Yavakrit, the son of the ascetic Bharadvaja, acquire profound knowledge in the Vedas. How also did he die?
एतत्सर्वं यथावृत्तं श्रोतुमिच्छामि लोमश कर्मभिर्देवकल्पानां कीर्त्यमानैर्भृशं रमे
M. N. Dutt: I desire to learn all this as they happened. I take delight in hearing the accounts of the celestials-like men.
लोमश उवाच भरद्वाजश्च रैभ्यश्च सखायौ संबभूवतुः तावूषतुरिहात्यन्तं प्रीयमाणौ वनान्तरे
M. N. Dutt: Lomasha said : Bharadvaja and Raivya were two friends. They both lived here always taking the greatest pleasure in each other's company.
रैभ्यस्य तु सुतावास्तामर्वावसुपरावसू आसीद्यवक्रीः पुत्रस्तु भरद्वाजस्य भारत
M. N. Dutt: Raivya had two sons, named Arvavasu and Pravashu. O descendant of Bharata, Bharadvaja had only one son named Yavakrit.
रैभ्यो विद्वान्सहापत्यस्तपस्वी चेतरोऽभवत् तयोश्चाप्यतुला प्रीतिर्बाल्यात्प्रभृति भारत
M. N. Dutt: O descendant of Bharata, Raivya and his sons became learned and the other (Bharadvaja) became an ascetic. From their childhood their friendship was matchless.
यवक्रीः पितरं दृष्ट्वा तपस्विनमसत्कृतम् दृष्ट्वा च सत्कृतं विप्रै रैभ्यं पुत्रैः सहानघ
AI Translation: Seeing his father Yavakrī, a sage, being honoured by the Brahmins and Raibhya along with his sons,
पर्यतप्यत तेजस्वी मन्युनाभिपरिप्लुतः तपस्तेपे ततो घोरं वेदज्ञानाय पाण्डव
AI Translation: The radiant one was tormented by anger. Then, O son of Pandu, he practiced a fierce austerity to know the Vedas.
सुसमिद्धे महत्यग्नौ शरीरमुपतापयन् जनयामास संतापमिन्द्रस्य सुमहातपाः
M. N. Dutt: He exposed his body to a flaming fire. By thus practising great asceticism he filled Indra with great anxiety.
तत इन्द्रो यवक्रीतमुपगम्य युधिष्ठिर अब्रवीत्कस्य हेतोस्त्वमास्थितस्तप उत्तमम्
M. N. Dutt: O Yudhishthira, thereupon Indra went to him and thus spoke to him, 'Why have you been engaged in the severe austerities?
यवक्रीरुवाच द्विजानामनधीता वै वेदाः सुरगणार्चित प्रतिभान्त्विति तप्येऽहमिदं परमकं तपः
M. N. Dutt: Yavakrit said : O worshipped of the celestials, I am engaged in the severe asceticism, because I desire to possess such knowledge of the Vedas as has never been acquired by any Brahmana.
स्वाध्यायार्थे समारम्भो ममायं पाकशासन तपसा ज्ञातुमिच्छामि सर्वज्ञानानि कौशिक
M. N. Dutt: O chastiser of Paka, O Kaushika, my this attempt is for obtaining the knowledge of the Vedas. By the force of my asceticism, I desire to acquire all sorts of knowledge.
कालेन महता वेदाः शक्या गुरुमुखाद्विभो प्राप्तुं तस्मादयं यत्नः परमो मे समास्थितः
M. N. Dutt: O lord, the knowledge of the Vedas that are to be learnt from teachers, requires long time to acquire. Therefore I am engaged in this great attempt.
इन्द्र उवाच अमार्ग एष विप्रर्षे येन त्वं यातुमिच्छसि किं विघातेन ते विप्र गच्छाधीहि गुरोर्मुखात्
M. N. Dutt: Indra said: O Brahmana Rishi, the way you have adopted is not the proper way. O Brahmana, why will you destroy yourself? Go and learn (the Vedas) from a preceptor.
लोमश उवाच एवमुक्त्वा गतः शक्रो यवक्रीरपि भारत भूय एवाकरोद्यत्नं तपस्यमितविक्रम
M. N. Dutt: O descendant of Bharata, having said this, Sakra (Indra) departed and Yavakrit of immeasurable prowess again engaged himself in asceticism.
घोरेण तपसा राजंस्तप्यमानो महातपाः संतापयामास भृशं देवेन्द्रमिति नः श्रुतम्
M. N. Dutt: O king we have heard that by thus undergoing severe asceticism, he again greatly agitated the lord of the celestials.
तं तथा तप्यमानं तु तपस्तीव्रं महामुनिम् उपेत्य बलभिद्देवो वारयामास वै पुनः
M. N. Dutt: The slayer of Bala, the deity (Indra) again came to that great Rishi who was engaged in that great austerity and forbade him to do it.
अशक्योऽर्थः समारब्धो नैतद्बुद्धिकृतं तव प्रतिभास्यन्ति वै वेदास्तव चैव पितुश्च ते
M. N. Dutt: Indra said: You are doing all this with the intention that the knowledge of the Vedas might be manifest in you and in your father, but your attempt can never be successful. Your this act is not welladvised.
यवक्रीरुवाच न चैतदेवं क्रियते देवराज ममेप्सितम् महता नियमेनाहं तप्स्ये घोरतरं तपः
M. N. Dutt: Yavakrit said : O king of the celestials, if you will not do what I desire, I shall, then, by observing stricter vows, practise still more severe austerities.
समिद्धेऽग्नावुपकृत्याङ्गमङ्गं; होष्यामि वा मघवंस्तन्निबोध यद्येतदेवं न करोषि कामं; ममेप्सितं देवराजेह सर्वम्
M. N. Dutt: O king of the celestials, know that if you do not fulfill all my desires, I shall then cut off my limbs and offer them as a sacrifice to a blazing fire.
लोमश उवाच निश्चयं तमभिज्ञाय मुनेस्तस्य महात्मनः प्रतिवारणहेत्वर्थं बुद्ध्या संचिन्त्य बुद्धिमान्
M. N. Dutt: Lomasha said: Having known the firın resolution of that high-souled Rishi, that intelligent deity (Indra) reflected (for a moment) and hit upon a means by which to dissuade him.
तत इन्द्रोऽकरोद्रूपं ब्राह्मणस्य तपस्विनः अनेकशतवर्षस्य दुर्बलस्य सयक्ष्मणः
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon Indra assumed the garb of an ascetic Brahmana, who was many hundred years of age and who was weak and consumptive.
यवक्रीतस्य यत्तीर्थमुचितं शौचकर्मणि भागीरथ्यां तत्र सेतुं वालुकाभिश्चकार सः
M. N. Dutt: He began to construct a dam of sands at thai spot of the Bhagirathi where Yavakrit used to go to perform his ablutions.
यदास्य वदतो वाक्यं न स चक्रे द्विजोत्तमः वालुकाभिस्ततः शक्रो गङ्गां समभिपूरयन्
M. N. Dutt: As that foremost of Brahmanas paid no heed to the words of Sakra (Indra), he therefore began to fill Ganga with sands.
वालुकामुष्टिमनिशं भागीरथ्यां व्यसर्जयत् सेतुमभ्यारभच्छक्रो यवक्रीतं निदर्शयन्
M. N. Dutt: Without stopping for a moment, he threw handfuls of sands into the Bhagirathi and to construct the dam thus attracting the notice of the Rishi.
तं ददर्श यवक्रीस्तु यत्नवन्तं निबन्धने प्रहसंश्चाब्रवीद्वाक्यमिदं स मुनिपुंगवः
M. N. Dutt: When that foremost of Rishis, Yavakrit, saw him thus earnestly engaged in bridging (the Ganges), he broke out into a loud laughter and thus spoke.
किमिदं वर्तते ब्रह्मन्किं च ते ह चिकीर्षितम् अतीव हि महान्यत्नः क्रियतेऽयं निरर्थकः
M. N. Dutt: Yavakrit said: O Brahmana, what are you doing? What is your intention? Why are you in vain making this great attempt?
इन्द्र उवाच बन्धिष्ये सेतुना गङ्गां सुखः पन्था भविष्यति क्लिश्यते हि जनस्तात तरमाणः पुनः पुनः
M. N. Dutt: Indra said: O sire, I am trying to bridge the Ganga, so that a comfortable way may be made across it. People meet with great inconvenience in again and again crossing and recrossing it.
यवक्रीरुवाच नायं शक्यस्त्वया बद्धुं महानोघः कथंचन अशक्याद्विनिवर्तस्व शक्यमर्थं समारभ
M. N. Dutt: Yavakrit said : O ascetic, you cannot bridge this mighty river. O Brahmana, desist from what is impracticable; attempt some thing practicable.
इन्द्र उवाच यथैव भवता चेदं तपो वेदार्थमुद्यतम् अशक्यं तद्वदस्माभिरयं भारः समुद्यतः
M. N. Dutt: Indra said: I have undertaken this heavy task, as you have engaged yourself in these great austerities to obtain the knowledge of the Vedas, an attempt which can never be successful.
यवक्रीरुवाच यथा तव निरर्थोऽयमारम्भस्त्रिदशेश्वर तथा यदि ममापीदं मन्यसे पाकशासन
M. N. Dutt: Yavakrit said : O lord of the celestials, O chastiser of Paka, if you consider these my attempts as fruitless, as yours are,
क्रियतां यद्भवेच्छक्यं मया सुरगणेश्वर वरांश्च मे प्रयच्छान्यान्यैरन्यान्भवितास्म्यति
M. N. Dutt: O lord of the celestials, be pleased to do for me what is practicable. Favour me with boons by which I may excel all other men.
लोमश उवाच तस्मै प्रादाद्वरानिन्द्र उक्तवान्यान्महातपाः प्रतिभास्यन्ति ते वेदाः पित्रा सह यथेप्सिताः
M. N. Dutt: Lomasha said : Indra granted him boons as was asked by the great ascetic. He said, "as you desire it, the Vedas will be manifest in you as well as in your father.
यच्चान्यत्काङ्क्षसे कामं यवक्रीर्गम्यतामिति स लब्धकामः पितरमुपेत्याथ ततोऽब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: Your all other desires also will be fulfilled." Having thus obtained all that he desired, he came to his father and said,