Third Skandha · Chapter 16
Sourceव्यास उवाच युधाजित्त्वथ सङ्ग्रामाद्गत्वाऽयोध्यां महाबलः । मनोरमां च पप्रच्छ सुदर्शनजिघांसया ॥ १ ॥ सेवकान् प्रेषयामास क्व गतेति मुहुर्वदन् । शुभे दिनेऽथ दौहित्रं स्थापयामास चासने ॥ २ ॥ मन्त्रिभिश्च वसिष्ठेन मन्त्रैराथर्वणैः शुभैः । अभिषिक्तश्च सम्पूर्णैः कलशैर्जलपूरितैः ॥ ३ ॥ भेरीशङ्खनिनादैश्च तूर्याणां चाथ निःस्वनैः । उत्सवस्तु नगर्या वै सम्बभूव कुरूद्वह ॥ ४ ॥ विप्राणां वेदपाठैश्च बन्दिनां स्तुतिभिस्तथा । अयोध्या मुदितेवासीज्जयशब्दैः सुमङ्गलैः ॥ ५ ॥ हृष्टपुष्टजनाकीर्णा स्तुतिवादित्रनिःस्वना । नवे तस्मिन्महीपाले पूर्बभौ नूतनेव सा ॥ ६ ॥ केचित्साधुजना ये वै चक्रुः शोकं गृहे स्थिताः । सुदर्शनं विचिन्त्याद्य क्व गतोऽसौ नृपात्मजः ॥ ७ ॥ मनोरमातिसाध्वी सा क्व गता सुतसंयुता । पिताऽस्या निहतः संख्ये राज्यलोभेन वैरिणा ॥ ८ ॥ इत्येवं चिन्त्यमानास्ते साधवः समबुद्धयः । अतिष्ठन्दुःखितास्तत्र शत्रुजिद्वशवर्तिनः ॥ ९ ॥ युधाजिदपि दौहित्रं स्थापयित्वा विधानतः । राज्यञ्च मन्त्रिसात्कृत्वा चलितः स्वां पुरीं प्रति ॥ १० ॥ श्रुत्वा सुदर्शनं तत्र मुनीनामाश्रमे स्थितम् । हन्तुकामो जगामाशु चित्रकूटं स पर्वतम् ॥ ११ ॥ निषादाधिपतिं शूरं पुरस्कृत्य बलाभिधम् । दुर्दर्शाख्यमगादाशु शृङ्गवेरपुराधिपम् ॥ १२ ॥ श्रुत्वा मनोरमा तत्र बभूवातिसुदुःखिता । आगच्छन्तं बालपुत्रा भयार्ता सैन्यसंयुतम् ॥ १३ ॥ तमुवाचातिशोकार्ता मुनिं साश्रुविलोचना । किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि युधाजित्समुपस्थितः ॥ १४ ॥ पिता मे निहतोऽनेन दौहित्रो भूपतिः कृतः । सुतं मे हन्तुकामोऽत्र समायाति बलान्वितः ॥ १५ ॥ पुरा श्रुतं मया स्वामिन्पाण्डवा वै वने स्थिताः । मुनीनामाश्रमे पुण्ये पाञ्चाल्या सहितास्तदा ॥ १६ ॥ गतास्ते मृगयां पार्था भ्रातरः पञ्च एव ते । द्रौपदी संस्थिता तत्र मुनीनामाश्रमे शुभे ॥ १७ ॥ धौम्योऽत्रिर्गालवः पैलो जावालिर्गौतमो भृगुः । च्यवनश्चात्रिगोत्रश्च कण्वश्चैव जतुः क्रतुः ॥ १८ ॥ वीतिहोत्रः सुमन्तुश्च यज्ञदत्तोऽथ वत्सलः । राशासनः कहोडश्च यवक्रीर्यज्ञकृत्क्रतुः ॥ १९ ॥ एते चान्ये च मुनयो भारद्वाजादयः शुभाः । वेदपाठयुताः सर्वे संस्थिताश्चाश्रमे स्थिताः ॥ २० ॥ दासीभिः सहिता तत्र याज्ञसेनी स्थिता मुने । आश्रमे चारुसर्वाङ्गी निर्भया मुनिसंवृते ॥ २१ ॥ पार्था मृगानुगास्तावत्प्रयाताश्च वनाद्वनम् । धनुर्बाणधरा वीराः पञ्च वै शत्रुतापनाः ॥ २२ ॥ तावत्सिन्धुपतिः श्रीमान्मार्गस्थो बलसंयुतः । आगतश्चाश्रमाभ्याशे श्रुत्वा तु निगमन्ध्वनिम् ॥ २३ ॥ श्रुत्वा वेदध्वनिं राजा मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम् । उत्ततार रथात्तूर्णं दर्शनाकाङ्क्षया नृपः ॥ २४ ॥ यदा निरगमत्तत्र भृत्यद्वयसमन्वितः । वेदपाठयुतान्वीक्ष्य मुनीनुद्यमसंस्थितः ॥ २५ ॥ कृताञ्जलिपुटः स्वामिन्संस्थितोऽथ जयद्रथः । आश्रमे मुनिभिर्जुष्टे भूपतिः संविवेश ह ॥ २६ ॥ तत्रोपविष्टं राजानं द्रष्टुकामाः स्त्रियस्तदा । आययुर्मुनिभार्याश्च कोऽयमित्यब्रुवन्नृपम् ॥ २७ ॥ तासां मध्ये वरारोहा याज्ञसेनी समागता । जयद्रथेन दृष्टा सा रूपेण श्रीरिवापरा ॥ २८ ॥ तां विलोक्यासितापाङ्गीं देवकन्यामिवापराम् । पप्रच्छ नृपतिर्धौम्यं केयं श्यामा वरानना ॥ २९ ॥ भार्या कस्य सुता कस्य नाम्ना का वरवर्णिनी । रूपलावण्यसंयुक्ता शचीव वसुधाङ्गता ॥ ३० ॥ बर्बूलवनमध्यस्था लवङ्गलतिका यथा । राक्षसीवृन्दगा नूनं रम्भेवाभाति भामिनी ॥ ३१ ॥ सत्यं वद महाभाग कस्येयं वल्लभाबला । राजपत्नीव चाभाति नैषा मुनिवधूर्द्विज ॥ ३२ ॥ धौम्य उवाच पाण्डवानां प्रिया भार्या द्रौपदी शुभलक्षणा । पाञ्चाली सिन्धुराजेन्द्र वसत्यत्र वराश्रमे ॥ ३३ ॥ जयद्रथ उवाच क्व गताः पाण्डवाः पञ्च शूराः सम्प्रति विश्रुताः । वसन्त्यत्र वने वीरा वीतशोका महाबलाः ॥ ३४ ॥ धौम्य उवाच मृगयार्थं गताः पञ्च पाण्डवा रथसंस्थिताः । आगमिष्यन्ति मध्यान्हे मृगानादाय पार्थिवाः ॥ ३५ ॥ तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य उदतिष्ठदसौ नृपः । द्रौपदीसन्निधौ गत्वा प्रगम्येदमुवाच ह ॥ ३६ ॥ कुशलं ते वरारोहे क्व गताः पतयश्च ते । एकादश गतान्यद्य वर्षाणि च वने किल ॥ ३७ ॥ द्रौपदी तु तदोवाच स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु नृपात्मज । विश्रमस्वाश्रमाभ्याशे क्षणादायान्ति पाण्डवाः ॥ ३८ ॥ एवं ब्रुवन्त्यां तस्यां तु लोभाविष्टः स भूपतिः । जहार द्रौपदीं वीरोऽनादृत्य मुनिसत्तमान् ॥ ३९ ॥ कस्यचिन्नैव विश्वासः कर्तव्यः सर्वथा बुधैः । कुर्वन्दुःखमवाप्नोति दृष्टान्तस्त्वत्र वै बलिः ॥ ४० ॥ वैरोचनसुतः श्रीमान्धर्मिष्ठः सत्यसङ्गरः । यज्ञकर्ता च दाता च शरण्यः साधुसंमतः ॥ ४१ ॥ नाधर्मे निरतः क्वापि प्रल्हादस्य च पौत्रकः । एकोनशतयज्ञान्वै स चकार सदक्षिणान् ॥ ४२ ॥ सत्त्वमूर्त्तिः सदा विष्णुः सेव्यः स योगिनामपि । निर्विकारोऽपि भगवान्देवकार्यार्थसिद्धये ॥ ४३ ॥ कश्यपाच्च समुद्भूतो विष्णुः कपटवामनः । राज्यं छलेन हृतवान्महीं चैव ससागराम् ॥ ४४ ॥ सोऽभवत्सत्यवाग्राजा बलिर्वैरोचनिस्तदा । कपटं कृतवान्विष्णुरिन्द्रार्थे तु मया श्रुतम् ॥ ४५ ॥ अन्यः किं न करोत्येवं कृतं वै सत्त्वमूर्तिना । वामनं रूपमास्थाय यज्ञपातं चिकीर्षता ॥ ४६ ॥ न च विश्वसितव्यं वै कदाचित्केनचित्तथा । लोभश्चेतसि चेत्स्वामिन्कीदृक्पापकृतं भयम् ॥ ४७ ॥ लोभाहताः प्रकुर्वन्ति पापानि प्राणिनः किल । परलोकाद्भयं नास्ति कस्यचित्कर्हिचिन्मुने ॥ ४८ ॥ मनसा कर्मणा वाचा परस्वादानहेतुतः । प्रपतन्ति नराः सम्यग्लोभोपहतचेतसः ॥ ४९ ॥ देवानाराध्य सततं वाञ्छन्ति च धनं नराः । न देवास्तत्करे कृत्वा समर्था दातुमञ्जसा ॥ ५० ॥ अन्यस्यानीयते वित्तं प्रयच्छन्ति मनीषितम् । वाणिज्येनाथ दानेन चौर्येणापि बलेन वा ॥ ५१ ॥ विक्रयार्थं गृहीत्वा च धान्यवस्त्रादिकं बहु । देवानर्चयते वैश्यो महर्द्धिर्मे भवेदिति ॥ ५२ ॥ नात्र किं परवित्तेच्छा वाणिज्येन परन्तप । ग्रहणकाले तु सम्प्राप्ते महर्घञ्चापि काङ्क्षति ॥ ५३ ॥ एवं हि प्राणिनः सर्वे परस्वादानतत्पराः । वर्तन्ते सततं ब्रह्मन् विश्वासः कीदृशः पुनः ॥ ५४ ॥ वृथा तीर्थं वृथा दानं वृथाऽध्ययनमेव च । लोभमोहावृतानां वै कृतं तदकृतं भवेत् ॥ ५५ ॥ तस्मादेनं महाभाग विसर्जय गृहं प्रति । सपुत्राऽहं वसिष्यामि जानकीवद्द्विजोत्तम ॥ ५६ ॥ इत्युक्तोऽसौ मुनिस्तावद्गत्वा युधाजितं नृपम् । उवाच वचनं राज्ञे भारद्वाजः प्रतापवान् ॥ ५७ ॥ गच्छ राजन् यथाकामं स्वपुरं नृपसत्तम । नेयं मनोरमाभ्येति बालपुत्रा सुदुःखिता ॥ ५८ ॥ युधाजिदुवाच मुने मुञ्च हठं सौम्य विसर्जय मनोरमाम् । न च यास्याम्यहं मुक्त्वा नेष्याम्यद्य बलात्पुनः ॥ ५९ ॥ ऋषिरुवाच नयस्व यदि शक्तिस्ते बलेनाद्य ममाश्रमात् । विश्वामित्रो यथा धेनुं वसिष्ठस्य मुनेः पुरा ॥ ६० ॥
vyāsa uvāca yudhājittvatha saṅgrāmādgatvā'yodhyāṃ mahābalaḥ | manoramāṃ ca papraccha sudarśanajighāṃsayā || 1 || sevakān preṣayāmāsa kva gateti muhurvadan | śubhe dine'tha dauhitraṃ sthāpayāmāsa cāsane || 2 || mantribhiśca vasiṣṭhena mantrairātharvaṇaiḥ śubhaiḥ | abhiṣiktaśca sampūrṇaiḥ kalaśairjalapūritaiḥ || 3 || bherīśaṅkhaninādaiśca tūryāṇāṃ cātha niḥsvanaiḥ | utsavastu nagaryā vai sambabhūva kurūdvaha || 4 || viprāṇāṃ vedapāṭhaiśca bandināṃ stutibhistathā | ayodhyā muditevāsījjayaśabdaiḥ sumaṅgalaiḥ || 5 || hṛṣṭapuṣṭajanākīrṇā stutivāditraniḥsvanā | nave tasminmahīpāle pūrbabhau nūtaneva sā || 6 || kecitsādhujanā ye vai cakruḥ śokaṃ gṛhe sthitāḥ | sudarśanaṃ vicintyādya kva gato'sau nṛpātmajaḥ || 7 || manoramātisādhvī sā kva gatā sutasaṃyutā | pitā'syā nihataḥ saṃkhye rājyalobhena vairiṇā || 8 || ityevaṃ cintyamānāste sādhavaḥ samabuddhayaḥ | atiṣṭhanduḥkhitāstatra śatrujidvaśavartinaḥ || 9 || yudhājidapi dauhitraṃ sthāpayitvā vidhānataḥ | rājyañca mantrisātkṛtvā calitaḥ svāṃ purīṃ prati || 10 || śrutvā sudarśanaṃ tatra munīnāmāśrame sthitam | hantukāmo jagāmāśu citrakūṭaṃ sa parvatam || 11 || niṣādādhipatiṃ śūraṃ puraskṛtya balābhidham | durdarśākhyamagādāśu śṛṅgaverapurādhipam || 12 || śrutvā manoramā tatra babhūvātisuduḥkhitā | āgacchantaṃ bālaputrā bhayārtā sainyasaṃyutam || 13 || tamuvācātiśokārtā muniṃ sāśruvilocanā | kiṃ karomi kva gacchāmi yudhājitsamupasthitaḥ || 14 || pitā me nihato'nena dauhitro bhūpatiḥ kṛtaḥ | sutaṃ me hantukāmo'tra samāyāti balānvitaḥ || 15 || purā śrutaṃ mayā svāminpāṇḍavā vai vane sthitāḥ | munīnāmāśrame puṇye pāñcālyā sahitāstadā || 16 || gatāste mṛgayāṃ pārthā bhrātaraḥ pañca eva te | draupadī saṃsthitā tatra munīnāmāśrame śubhe || 17 || dhaumyo'trirgālavaḥ pailo jāvālirgautamo bhṛguḥ | cyavanaścātrigotraśca kaṇvaścaiva jatuḥ kratuḥ || 18 || vītihotraḥ sumantuśca yajñadatto'tha vatsalaḥ | rāśāsanaḥ kahoḍaśca yavakrīryajñakṛtkratuḥ || 19 || ete cānye ca munayo bhāradvājādayaḥ śubhāḥ | vedapāṭhayutāḥ sarve saṃsthitāścāśrame sthitāḥ || 20 || dāsībhiḥ sahitā tatra yājñasenī sthitā mune | āśrame cārusarvāṅgī nirbhayā munisaṃvṛte || 21 || pārthā mṛgānugāstāvatprayātāśca vanādvanam | dhanurbāṇadharā vīrāḥ pañca vai śatrutāpanāḥ || 22 || tāvatsindhupatiḥ śrīmānmārgastho balasaṃyutaḥ | āgataścāśramābhyāśe śrutvā tu nigamandhvanim || 23 || śrutvā vedadhvaniṃ rājā munīnāṃ bhāvitātmanām | uttatāra rathāttūrṇaṃ darśanākāṅkṣayā nṛpaḥ || 24 || yadā niragamattatra bhṛtyadvayasamanvitaḥ | vedapāṭhayutānvīkṣya munīnudyamasaṃsthitaḥ || 25 || kṛtāñjalipuṭaḥ svāminsaṃsthito'tha jayadrathaḥ | āśrame munibhirjuṣṭe bhūpatiḥ saṃviveśa ha || 26 || tatropaviṣṭaṃ rājānaṃ draṣṭukāmāḥ striyastadā | āyayurmunibhāryāśca ko'yamityabruvannṛpam || 27 || tāsāṃ madhye varārohā yājñasenī samāgatā | jayadrathena dṛṣṭā sā rūpeṇa śrīrivāparā || 28 || tāṃ vilokyāsitāpāṅgīṃ devakanyāmivāparām | papraccha nṛpatirdhaumyaṃ keyaṃ śyāmā varānanā || 29 || bhāryā kasya sutā kasya nāmnā kā varavarṇinī | rūpalāvaṇyasaṃyuktā śacīva vasudhāṅgatā || 30 || barbūlavanamadhyasthā lavaṅgalatikā yathā | rākṣasīvṛndagā nūnaṃ rambhevābhāti bhāminī || 31 || satyaṃ vada mahābhāga kasyeyaṃ vallabhābalā | rājapatnīva cābhāti naiṣā munivadhūrdvija || 32 || dhaumya uvāca pāṇḍavānāṃ priyā bhāryā draupadī śubhalakṣaṇā | pāñcālī sindhurājendra vasatyatra varāśrame || 33 || jayadratha uvāca kva gatāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ pañca śūrāḥ samprati viśrutāḥ | vasantyatra vane vīrā vītaśokā mahābalāḥ || 34 || dhaumya uvāca mṛgayārthaṃ gatāḥ pañca pāṇḍavā rathasaṃsthitāḥ | āgamiṣyanti madhyānhe mṛgānādāya pārthivāḥ || 35 || tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya udatiṣṭhadasau nṛpaḥ | draupadīsannidhau gatvā pragamyedamuvāca ha || 36 || kuśalaṃ te varārohe kva gatāḥ patayaśca te | ekādaśa gatānyadya varṣāṇi ca vane kila || 37 || draupadī tu tadovāca svasti te'stu nṛpātmaja | viśramasvāśramābhyāśe kṣaṇādāyānti pāṇḍavāḥ || 38 || evaṃ bruvantyāṃ tasyāṃ tu lobhāviṣṭaḥ sa bhūpatiḥ | jahāra draupadīṃ vīro'nādṛtya munisattamān || 39 || kasyacinnaiva viśvāsaḥ kartavyaḥ sarvathā budhaiḥ | kurvanduḥkhamavāpnoti dṛṣṭāntastvatra vai baliḥ || 40 || vairocanasutaḥ śrīmāndharmiṣṭhaḥ satyasaṅgaraḥ | yajñakartā ca dātā ca śaraṇyaḥ sādhusaṃmataḥ || 41 || nādharme nirataḥ kvāpi pralhādasya ca pautrakaḥ | ekonaśatayajñānvai sa cakāra sadakṣiṇān || 42 || sattvamūrttiḥ sadā viṣṇuḥ sevyaḥ sa yogināmapi | nirvikāro'pi bhagavāndevakāryārthasiddhaye || 43 || kaśyapācca samudbhūto viṣṇuḥ kapaṭavāmanaḥ | rājyaṃ chalena hṛtavānmahīṃ caiva sasāgarām || 44 || so'bhavatsatyavāgrājā balirvairocanistadā | kapaṭaṃ kṛtavānviṣṇurindrārthe tu mayā śrutam || 45 || anyaḥ kiṃ na karotyevaṃ kṛtaṃ vai sattvamūrtinā | vāmanaṃ rūpamāsthāya yajñapātaṃ cikīrṣatā || 46 || na ca viśvasitavyaṃ vai kadācitkenacittathā | lobhaścetasi cetsvāminkīdṛkpāpakṛtaṃ bhayam || 47 || lobhāhatāḥ prakurvanti pāpāni prāṇinaḥ kila | paralokādbhayaṃ nāsti kasyacitkarhicinmune || 48 || manasā karmaṇā vācā parasvādānahetutaḥ | prapatanti narāḥ samyaglobhopahatacetasaḥ || 49 || devānārādhya satataṃ vāñchanti ca dhanaṃ narāḥ | na devāstatkare kṛtvā samarthā dātumañjasā || 50 || anyasyānīyate vittaṃ prayacchanti manīṣitam | vāṇijyenātha dānena cauryeṇāpi balena vā || 51 || vikrayārthaṃ gṛhītvā ca dhānyavastrādikaṃ bahu | devānarcayate vaiśyo maharddhirme bhavediti || 52 || nātra kiṃ paravittecchā vāṇijyena parantapa | grahaṇakāle tu samprāpte maharghañcāpi kāṅkṣati || 53 || evaṃ hi prāṇinaḥ sarve parasvādānatatparāḥ | vartante satataṃ brahman viśvāsaḥ kīdṛśaḥ punaḥ || 54 || vṛthā tīrthaṃ vṛthā dānaṃ vṛthā'dhyayanameva ca | lobhamohāvṛtānāṃ vai kṛtaṃ tadakṛtaṃ bhavet || 55 || tasmādenaṃ mahābhāga visarjaya gṛhaṃ prati | saputrā'haṃ vasiṣyāmi jānakīvaddvijottama || 56 || ityukto'sau munistāvadgatvā yudhājitaṃ nṛpam | uvāca vacanaṃ rājñe bhāradvājaḥ pratāpavān || 57 || gaccha rājan yathākāmaṃ svapuraṃ nṛpasattama | neyaṃ manoramābhyeti bālaputrā suduḥkhitā || 58 || yudhājiduvāca mune muñca haṭhaṃ saumya visarjaya manoramām | na ca yāsyāmyahaṃ muktvā neṣyāmyadya balātpunaḥ || 59 || ṛṣiruvāca nayasva yadi śaktiste balenādya mamāśramāt | viśvāmitro yathā dhenuṃ vasiṣṭhasya muneḥ purā || 60 ||
English translation
1. Vyasa said After gaining the victory in the battle, the king Yudhajit returned to the city of Ayodhya with his huge army and asked where are Sudars’ana and Manorama? He wanted to kill Sudars’ana.
2. He repeatedly exclaimed “Where are they gone?” and sent his servant on their search. Then, on an auspicious day, he installed his daughter’s son on the throne.
3. Maharsi Vas’istha was engaged as the priest; he and the other ministers began to chant the auspicious hymns of the Atharvaveda and with the jars, filled with water, and consecrated by these hymns, installed S’atrujit on the throne.
4. O best of the Kurus! Conch shells resounded; drums, bheris and turiyas, resounded; and great festivals and rejoicings took place in the city.
5. The reciting of the Vedic mantrams by the Brahmans, the chanting of hymns by the bards and the auspicious acclamation of Victory to the new king resounded the whole city of Ayodhya with joy.
6. When the new king S’atrujit ascended on the throne, the subjects were filled with joy; everywhere hymns were sung; drums were resound. At this Ayodhya looked as fresh as ever.
7-8. O King! Though there were thus great rejoicings and festivals, yet some good persons were found that remembered Sudars’ana and gave vent to this feeling of sorrow, thus “Alas! Where has that prince gone? Where has that chaste queen Manorama gone with her son? Oh! The enemies have killed his father for greed of kingdom.”
9. The saints with their views impartial, thus rendered uneasy, sorry, began to pass away their time there subject to S’atrujit.
10. After installing duly his daughter’s son on the throne and after having made over the charge of the kingdom to the wise councillors, Yudhajit turned towards his own city.
11-12. Afterwards Yudhajit heard that Sudars’ana was staying in the hermitage with the Munis. He started at once for Chitrakuta and went quickly to Durdars’a, the chief of the city of Sringavera, being accompanied by Bala, the chief of the NTsadas.
13-15. Hearing that Yudhajit was coming there with his army, Manorama began to think that his son was a minor and became very sorrowful, distressed and terrified. Then she with tears in her eyes addressed the Muni thus “Yudhajit is coming here; what shall I do and whither shall I go? He has slain my father, and has installed his daughter’s son on the throne. Still he is not satisfied and he is now coming with his army here to kill my minor child.”
16-21. O Lord! In days of yore, I heard that the Pandavas, when they went to the forest, lived in the holy hermitage of the Munis with Draupadi. One day the five brethren went a hunting, and the beautiful Draupadi stayed without any fear with other maid servants
in the hermitage where there was the chanting of the Vedas by Dhaumya, Attri, Galava, Paila, Javali, Gautama, Bhrigu, Chyavana, Kanva of the Atrigotra, Jatu, Kratu, Vitihotra, Sumantu, Yajhadatt, Vatsala, Ras'asana, Kahoda, Yavakri, Yajhakrit, Kratu and other holy high souled Risis like Bharadvaja and others.
22-23. While the five great heroes Arjuna and others, the destroyers of their enemies, were roaming in the forests, Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu came with his army to the hermitage, hearing the reciting of the Vedic hymns.
24. Hearing thus, that king quickly descended from the chariot so that he might have a sight of these holy maharsis.
25-27. Accompanied by two attendants only, he approached to the Munis and, finding them engaged in the study of the Vedas, waited there with folded hands for an opportunity. O Lord! When the king Jayadratha on entering the hermitage took his seat, the wives of the Munis came there to see the king and began to enquire “Who is this person?”
28. With the wives of the Munis came there also the beautiful Draupadi. Jayadratha looked upon Draupadi as if she were the second goddess Laksmi.
29-30. Looking at that lovely royal daughter who looked like the Deva girls Jayadratha asked the Maharsi Dhaumya, “Who is this beautiful lotus eyed lady? Whose wife is she and who is her father? What is her name? Oh! From her beautiful appearance it seems that the goddess S’achi has come down on earth.”
31. This fair woman is shining like the celestial nymph Rambha surrounded by the Raksasis or like the beautiful creeper Lavangalatika encircled by thorny trees.
32. O good ones! Tell truly whose beloved is she? O Brahmins! It seems that she is the wife of some king, not the wife of a Muni.
33. Dhaumya said “O king of Sindhu! She is the daughter of Panchala; her name is Draupadi; she is the wife of the Pandavas; they are residing in this forest, having got rid of their fears.”
34. Jayadratha said “Where have those powerful Pandavas of great prowess gone now? Are they dwelling in this forest, free from fears?”
35. Dhaumya said “The five Pandavas have gone out on hunting, ascended on a chariot. They will return at noon with their game.”
36-37. Hearing the Muni's words Jayadratha got up, and going near to Draupadi, bowed down to her and said “O Fair One! Is there everything well with you? Where have your husbands gone? To-day it is eleven years that you are residing in the forest.”
38. Draupadi then said “O prince! Let all be well with you, wait here for a short while; the Pandavas are coming quickly.”
39. While Draupadi thus spoke, that powerful king, being overpowered with greed and avarice, stole her away, disregarding all the Munis present there.
40-42. O Lord! The wise should never trust any body; if on any body he places his trust, he will surely conne to grief. For example, see the case of the king Bali. Bali, the son of Virochana, and the grandson of Prahlada, was prosperous, devoted to his religion, true to his promise, performer of sacrifices, generous, always giving protection to and liked by the saints and a great warrior. His mind never turned to any irreligious subject and he performed ninety nine Yajhas with full Daksinas (remunerations).
43-44. But the Bhagavan Visnu, who is all full of Sattvic purity and who is never affected with passions and changeless, who is always worshipped by the Yogis, He, in the form of a dwarf in his Vamana incarnation as the son of Kas'yapa Risi, to serve the Devas, stole away his whole seagirt earth and kingdom deceitfully on hypocritical pretext.
45. O Lord! I heard that the son of Virochana was a generous large hearted king. He truly resolved to give what was wanted; but Visnu behaved with him deceitfully to serve the cause of Indra.
46. When the pure, Sattvik Visnu could assume this dwarf incarnation to bring about the hindrance to Bali’s Yajha, what wonder is that other ordinary mortals would practise things like that?
47. Therefore never trust on any body in any way. Lord! Where there are greed and avarice, reigning in one’s heart, what fear can he have
to perpetrate any evil deed?
48-49. O Muni! It is through avarice that nnen commit sinful deeds; they do not care what good or bad will happen to them in the next world. Thoroughly overpowered by greed, they take away in mind, word and deed other’s things; and thus they become fallen.
50-51. Lo! Human beings always worship the Gods for wealth; but the Devas do not give them wealth instantly; they give them these things through others by making them carry on trade, make gifts, or shew their strength or by making them steal.
52. The Vais’yas worship the Gods simply because they think they will be highly prosperous and therefore they sell many things as grains, cloth and the like.
53. O Controlled one! Is there not the desire to take away the other’s property in this act of merchandise? Certainly there is. Besides the merchants, when they find that when people are in urgent need of buying articles from them, expect that the price of those articles might run higher.
54. O Muni! Thus every one is anxious to take away other’s properties. How, then, can we trust them?
55. Those who are clouded by greed and delusion, their going to places of pilgrimages, their making charities, their reciting the Vedas, all are rendered useless. Though they go to the holy places, etc., still
these things bear no fruits to them, as if they have not done these things at all.
56. Therefore O Enlightened one! You make Yudhajit go back to his own place. Then I will be able to remain here, like Sita, with my son.
57-58. On Manorama's thus speaking to the Muni, the fiery Maharsi went to Yudhajit and said “O King! You better go back to your own place or anywhere else you like. The son of Manorama is a minor; that queen is very much grieved; she cannot come to you now.”
59. Yudhajit said “O peaceful ones! Kindly cease showing this impudence and give me Manorama. I will never go away leaving her. If you do not give her easily, I will take her away by force.”
60. The Risis said “O King! If there be any strength in you, you can take away Manorama by force; but the result will be similar to that when the King Visvamitra wanted to take away the heavenly cow by force from the hermitage of Vas'istha.”
Thus ends the Sixteenth Chapter on the glory of the Devi and the going of the King Yudhajit to the hermitage of Bharadvaja, to kill Sudars’ana, in the the 3rd Adhyaya of S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24741, revision 75594 (2016-08-03T12:04:46Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk03ch16.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.