Aswamedha Parva, Mahabharata/Book 14 Chapter 30

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Mahabharata - Aswamedha Parva


Aswamedha Parva, Mahabharata/Book 14 Chapter 30

SECTION XXX

Narrates history of Alarka and importance of Yoga

"The Pitris said, 'In this connection is cited this old history. Having heard it, thou shouldst act according to it, O foremost of all regenerate persons.

  • There was a royal sage of the name Alarka endued with the austerest of penances. He was conversant with all duties, truthful in speech, of high soul, and exceedingly firm in his vows.
  • Having, with his bow, conquered the whole Earth extending to the seas, and thereby achieved an exceedingly difficult feat, he set his mind on that which is subtle. While sitting at the root of a tree, his thoughts, O thou of great intelligence, abandoning all those great feats, turned towards that which is subtle.'
  • "Alarka said, 'My mind has become strong. Having conquered the mind, one's conquest becomes permanent. Though surrounded by foes, I shall (henceforth) shoot my arrows at other objects. Since in consequence of its unsteadiness, it sets all mortals to accomplish acts, I shall shoot very sharp-pointed shafts at the mind.'
  • "The mind said, 'These arrows, O Alarka, will never pierce me through. They will pierce only thy own vital parts, Thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou look out for other arrows with which to destroy me.' Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as follows.
  • "Alarka said, 'Smelling very many perfumes, the nose hankers after them only. Hence I shall shoot whetted arrows at the nose.'
  • "The nose said, 'These arrows will never cross through me, O Alarka. They will pierce only thy own vital parts, and thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou look for other arrows with which to destroy me.'

Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as follows.


p. 53

  • "Alarka said, This one (viz., the tongue), enjoying savoury tastes, hankers after them only. Hence I shall shoot whetted shafts at the tongue.'
  • "The tongue said, 'These arrows, O Alarka, will not cross through me. They will only pierce thy own vital parts and thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou look for other arrows with which to destroy me.' Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as follows.
  • "Alarka said, 'The skin, touching diverse objects of touch, hankers after them only. Hence, I shall tear off the skin with diverse arrows equipt with the feathers of the Kanka.'
  • "The skin said, 'These arrows will not, O Alarka, cross through me. They will pierce thy own vital parts only, and thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou look for other arrows with which to destroy me.' Hearing these words and reflecting on them, he said as follows.
  • "Alarka said, 'Hearing diverse sounds, (the ear) hankers after them only. Hence, I shall shoot whetted shafts at the ear.'
  • "The ear said, 'These arrows will not, O Alarka, cross through me. They will pierce thy own vital parts only, and thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou then look for other arrows with which to destroy me.' Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as follows.
  • "Alarka said, 'Seeing many colours, the eye hankers after them only. Hence, I shall destroy the eye with sharp-pointed arrows.'
  • "The eye said. 'These arrows will not, O Alarka, cross through me at all. They will pierce thy own vital parts only, and thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou then look for other arrows with which to destroy me!' Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as follows.
  • "Alarka said, 'This (viz., the understanding) forms many determinations with the aid of ratiocination. Hence, I shall shoot whetted arrows at the understanding.'

"The understanding said, 'These arrows will not, O Alarka, cross through me at all. They will pierce thy vital parts only, and thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou then look for other arrows with which to destroy me!'

"The Brahmana continued, 'Then Alarka, employing himself, even there, on penances difficult to perform and exceedingly austere, failed to obtain, by the high power (of his penances) arrows for casting at these seven. Endued with puissance, he then, with mind well concentrated, began to reflect. Then O best of regenerate ones, Alarka, that foremost of intelligent men, having reflected for a long time, failed to obtain anything better than Yoga. Setting his mind on one object, he remained perfectly still, engaged in Yoga.1 Endued with energy, he quickly slew all the senses with one arrow, having entered by Yoga into his


p. 54

soul and thereby attained to the highest success. Filled with wonder, that royal sage then sang this verse: Alas, it is a pity that we should have accomplished all acts that are external! Alas, that we should have, endued with the thirst for enjoyment, courted (the pleasures of) sovereignty before now! I have learnt this afterwards. There is no happiness that is higher than Yoga.--Do thou know this, O Rama. Cease to slay the Kshatriyas. Do thou practise the austerest of penances. Thou wilt then attain to what is good.--Thus addressed by his grandsires, Jamadagni's son practised the austerest penances, and having practised them, that highly blessed one attained to that success which is difficult to reach.'"


Footnotes

52:1 Kshatriya-bandhu always implies low or inferior Kshatriyas, as Brahma-bandhu implies low or inferior Brahmanas. The expression, very probably, is similar to Brahman-sangat in current Bengali. It does not surely mean 'kinsmen of Kshatriyas'.

53:1 The vocative, 'O foremost of regenerate ones' applies to Jamadagni's son. The narration is that of the Pitris. All the copies, however, represent this as the Brahmana's speech to his wife. Indeed, the Brahmana is only reciting to his wife the speech of the Pitris to Rama. The Yoga here spoken of is, as Nilakantha explains the Raja-Yoga. Previously, Alarka had been bent upon Hatha-Yoga which frequently ends in the destruction of the person practising it.

The Mahabharata in Sanskrit: Book 14 Chapter 30

 1 [पितरह]
     अत्राप्य उदाहरन्तीमम इतिहासं पुरातनम
     शरुत्वा च तत तथा कार्यं भवता दविजसत्तम
 2 अलर्कॊ नाम राजर्षिर अभवत सुमहातपाः
     धर्मज्ञः सत्यसंधश च महात्मा सुमहाव्रतः
 3 स सागरान्तां धनुषा विनिर्जित्य महीम इमाम
     कृत्वा सुदुष्करं कर्म मनः सूक्ष्मे समादधे
 4 सथितस्य वृक्षमूले ऽथ तस्य चिन्ता बभूव ह
     उत्सृज्य सुमहद राज्यं सूक्ष्मं परति महामते
 5 [अ]
     मनसॊ मे बलं जातं मनॊ जित्वा धरुवॊ जयः
     अन्यत्र बाणान अस्यामि शत्रुभिः परिवारितः
 6 यद इदं चापलान मूर्तेः सर्वम एतच चिकीर्षति
     मनः परति सुतीक्ष्णाग्रान अहं मॊक्ष्यामि सायकान
 7 [मनस]
     नेमे बाणास तरिष्यन्ति माम अलर्क कथं चन
     तवैव मर्म भेत्स्यन्ति भिन्नमर्मा मरिष्यसि
 8 अन्यान बाणान समीक्षस्व यैस तवं मां सूदयिष्यसि
     तच छरुत्वा स विचिन्त्याथ ततॊ वचनम अब्रवीत
 9 [अ]
     आघ्राय सुबहून गन्धांस तान एव परतिगृध्यति
     तस्माद घराणं परति शरान परतिमॊक्ष्याम्य अहं शितान
 10 [घराण]
    नेमे बाणास तरिष्यन्ति माम अलर्क कथं चन
    तवैव मर्म भेत्स्यन्ति भिन्नमर्मा मरिष्यसि
11 अन्यान बाणान समीक्षस्व यैस तवं मां सूदयिष्यसि
    तच छरुत्वा स विचिन्त्याथ ततॊ वचनम अब्रवीत
12 [अ]
    इयं सवादून रसान भुक्त्वा तान एव परतिगृध्यति
    तस्माज जिह्वां परति शरान परतिमॊक्ष्याम्य अहं शितान
13 [ज]
    नेमे बाणास तरिष्यन्ति माम अलर्क कथं चन
    तवैव मर्म भेत्स्यन्ति भिन्नमर्मा मरिष्यसि
14 अन्यान बाणान समीक्षस्व यैस तवं मां सूदयिष्यसि
    तच छरुत्वा स विचिन्त्याथ ततॊ वचनम अब्रवीत
15 [अ]
    सृष्ट्वा तवग विविधान सपर्शांस तान एव परतिगृध्यति
    तस्मात तवचं पाटयिष्ये विविधैः कङ्कपत्रभिः
16 [तवच]
    नेमे बाणास तरिष्यन्ति माम अलर्क कथं चन
    तवैव मर्म भेत्स्यन्ति भिन्नमर्मा मरिष्यसि
17 अन्यान बाणान समीक्षस्व यैस तवं मां सूदयिष्यसि
    तच छरुत्वा स विचिन्त्याथ ततॊ वचनम अब्रवीत
18 [अ]
    शरुत्वा वै विविधाञ शब्दांस तान एव परतिगृध्यति
    तस्माच छरॊत्रं परति शरान परतिमॊक्ष्याम्य अहं शितान
19 [षरॊत्र]
    नेमे बाणास तरिष्यन्ति माम अलर्क कथं चन
    तवैव मर्म भेत्स्यन्ति ततॊ हास्यसि जीवितम
20 अन्यान बाणान समीक्षस्व यैस तवं मां सूदयिष्यसि
    तच छरुत्वा स विचिन्त्याथ ततॊ वचनम अब्रवीत
21 [अ]
    दृष्ट्वा वै विविधान भावांस तान एव परतिगृध्यति
    तस्माच चक्षुः परति शरान परतिमॊक्ष्याम्य अहं शितान
22 [च]
    नेमे बाणास तरिष्यन्ति मामालर्क कथं चन
    तवैव मर्म भेत्स्यन्ति भिन्नमर्मा मरिष्यसि
23 अन्यान बाणान समीक्षस्व यैस तवं मां सूदयिष्यति
    तच छरुत्वा स विचिन्त्याथ ततॊ वचनम अब्रवीत
24 [अ]
    इयं निष्ठा बहुविधा परज्ञया तव अध्यवस्यति
    तस्माद बुद्धिं परति शरान परतिमॊक्ष्याम्य अहं शितान
25 चक्सुस
    नेमे बाणास तरिष्यन्ति माम अलर्क कथं चन
    तवैव मर्म भेत्स्यन्ति भिन्नमर्मा मरिष्यसि
26 [पितरह]
    ततॊ ऽलर्कस तपॊ घॊरम आस्थायाथ सुदुष्करम
    नाध्यगच्छत परं शक्त्या बाणम एतेषु सप्तसु
    सुसमाहित चित्तास तु ततॊ ऽचिन्तयत परभुः
27 स विचिन्त्य चिरं कालम अलर्कॊ दविजसत्तम
    नाध्यगच्छत परं शरेयॊ यॊगान मतिमतां वरः
28 स एकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा निश्चलॊ यॊगम आस्थितः
    इन्द्रियाणि जघानाशु बाणेनैकेन वीर्यवान
29 यॊगेनात्मानम आविश्य संसिद्धिं परमां ययौ
    विस्मितश चापि राजर्षिर इमां गाथां जगाद ह
    अहॊ कष्टं यद अस्माभिः पूर्वं राज्यम अनुष्ठितम
    इति पश्चान मया जञातं यॊगान नास्ति परं सुखम
30 इति तवम अपि जानीहि राम मा कषत्रियाञ जहि
    तपॊ घॊरम उपातिष्ठ ततः शरेयॊ ऽभिपत्स्यसे
31 [बर]
    इत्य उक्तः स तपॊ घॊरं जामदग्न्यः पितामहैः
    आस्थितः सुमहाभागॊ ययौ सिद्धिं च दुर्गमाम

References


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