Shanti Parva Mahabharata Book XII Chapter 39
Shanti Parva Mahabharata Book XII Chapter 39: English
"Vaisampayana said, 'At the time the Parthas entered the city, thousands upon thousands of the citizens came out to behold the sight. The well-adorned squares and streets, with crowd swelling at each moment looked beautiful like the ocean swelling at the rise of the moon. The large mansions that stood on the street-sides, decked with every ornament and full of ladies, seemed to shake, O Bharata, with their weight. With soft and modest voices they uttered the praises of Yudhishthira, of Bhima and Arjuna, and of the two sons of Madri. And they said, 'Worthy of all praise art thou. O blessed princess of Panchala, that waitest by the side of those foremost of men even like Gautami by the side of the (seven) Rishis. Thy acts and vows have borne their fruits, O lady!' In this strain, O monarch, the ladies praised the princess Krishna. In consequence of those praises, O Bharata, and their speeches with one another, and the shouts of joy (uttered by the men' ), the city became filled with a loud uproar. Having passed through the streets with such behaviour as befitted him, [Yudhishthira]] then entered the beautiful palace (of the Kurus) adorned with every ornament. The people belonging to the city and the provinces, approaching the palace, uttered speeches that were agreeable to his ears, 'By good luck, O foremost of kings, thou hast vanquished thy enemies, O slayer of foes! By good luck, thou hast recovered thy kingdom through virtue and prowess. Be, O foremost of kings, our monarch for a hundred years, and protect thy subjects virtuously like Indra protecting the denizens of heaven.' Thus adored at the palace-gate with blessed speeches, and accepting the benedictions uttered by the Brahmanas from every side, the king, graced with victory and the blessings of the people, entered the palace that resembled the mansion of Indra himself, and then descended from his car. Entering the apartments, blessed Yudhishthira approached the household gods and worshipped them with gems and scents and floral wreaths. Possessed of great fame and prosperity, the king came out once more and beheld a number of Brahmanas waiting with auspicious articles in their hands (for pronouncing benedictions on him). Surrounded by those Brahmanas desirous of uttering benedictions on him, the king looked beautiful like the spotless moon in the midst of the stars. Accompanied by his priest Dhaumya and his eldest uncle, the son of Kunti cheerfully worshipped, with due rites, those Brahmanas with (gift of) sweets, gems, and gold in profusion, and kine and robes, O monarch, and with diverse other articles that each desired. Then loud shouts of 'This is a blessed day' arose, filling the entire welkin, O Bharata. Sweet to the ear, that sacred sound was highly gratifying to the friends and well-wishers (of the Pandavas). The king heard that sound uttered by those learned Brahmanas and that was as loud and clear as the sound of a flock of swans. He listened also to the speeches, fraught with melodious words and grave import, of those persons well conversant with the Vedas. Then, O king, the peal of drums and the delightful blare of conchs, indicative of triumph, arose. A little while after when the Brahmanas had become silent, a Rakshasa of the
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name of Charvaka, who had disguised himself as a Brahmana, addressed the king. He was a friend of Duryodhana and stood therein the garb of a religious mendicant. With a rosary, with a tuft of hair on his head, and with the triple staff in his hand, he stood proudly and fearlessly in the midst of all those Brahmanas that had come there for pronouncing benedictions (upon the king), numbering by thousands, O king, and all of whom were devoted to penances and vows. That wicked wight, desirous of evil unto the high-souled Pandavas and without having consulted those Brahmanas, said these words unto the king.'
"Charvaka said, 'All these Brahmanas, making me their spokesman, are saying, 'Fie on thee! Thou art a wicked king. Thou art a slayer of kinsmen. What shalt thou gain, O son of Kunti, by having thus exterminated thy race? Having slain also thy superiors and preceptor, it is proper for thee to cast away thy life.' Hearing these words of that wicked Rakshasa the Brahmanas there became deeply agitated. Stung by that speech, they made a loud uproar. And all of them, with king Yudhishthira. O monarch, became speechless from anxiety and shame.'
"Yudhishthira said, 'I bow down to you and beseech you humbly, be gratified with me. It doth not behove you to cry fie on me. I shall soon lay down my life.' 1
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then all those Brahmanas, O king, loudly said, 'These are not our words. Prosperity to thee, O monarch!' Those high-souled persons, conversant with the Vedas, with understanding rendered clear by penances, then penetrated the disguise of the speaker by means of their spiritual sight.' And they said, 'This is the Rakshasa Charvaka, the friend of Duryodhana. Having put on the garb of a religious mendicant, he seeks the good of his friend Duryodhana. We have not, O thou of righteous soul, said anything of the kind. Let this anxiety of thine be dispelled. Let prosperity attend upon thee with thy brothers.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'These Brahmanas then, insensate with rage, uttered the sound Hun. Cleansed of all sins, they censured the sinful Rakshasa and slew him there (with that very sound). Consumed by the energy of those utterers of Brahma, Charvaka fell down dead, like a tree with all its sprouts blasted by the thunder of Indra. Duly worshipped, the Brahmanas went away, having gladdened the king with their benedictions. The royal son of Pandu also, with all his friends, felt great happiness.
Footnotes
82:1 Pratyasanna-vyasaninam is explained by Nilakantha as 'I stand near these distressed brothers of mine' (for whose sake only I am for accepting sovereignty). This is certainly very fanciful. The plain meaning is, 'I am about to lay down my life.'
Note - Bhumichara word is missing in the translation
Shanti Parva Mahabharata Book XII Chapter 39: Sanskrit
1 [वैषम्पायन]
परवेशने तु पार्थानां जनस्य पुरवासिनः
दिदृक्षूणां सहस्राणि समाजग्मुर बहून्य अथ
2 स राजमार्गः शुशुभे समलं कृतचत्वरः
यथा चन्द्रॊदये राजन वर्धमानॊ महॊदधिः
3 गृहाणि राजमार्गे तु रत्नवन्ति बृहन्ति च
पराकम्पन्तेव भारेण सत्रीणां पूर्णानि भारत
4 ताः शनैर इव सव्रीडं परशशंसुर युधिष्ठिरम
भीमसेनार्जुनौ चैव माद्रीपुत्रौ च पाण्डवौ
5 धन्या तवम असि पाञ्चालि या तवं पुरुषसत्तमान
उपतिष्ठसि कल्याणि महर्षीन इव गौतमी
6 तव कर्माण्य अमॊघानि वरतचर्या च भामिनि
इति कृष्णां महाराज परशशंसुस तदा सत्रियः
7 परशंसा वचनैस तासां मिथः शब्दैश च भारत
परीतिजैश च तदा शब्दैः पुरम आसीत समाकुलम
8 तम अतीत्य यथा युक्तं राजमार्गं युधिष्ठिर
अलं कृतं शॊभमानम उपायाद राजवेश्म ह
9 ततः परकृतयः सर्वाः पौरजानपदास तथा
ऊचुः कथाः कर्णसुखाः समुपेत्य ततस ततः
10 दिष्ट्या जयसि राजेन्द्र शत्रूञ शत्रुनिसूदन
दिष्ट्या राज्यं पुनः पराप्तं धर्मेण च बलेन च
11 भव नस तवं महाराज राजेह शरदां शतम
परजाः पालय धर्मेण यथेन्द्रस तरिदिवं नृप
12 एवं राजकुलद्वारि मङ्गलैर अभिपूजितः
आशीर्वादान दविजैर उक्तान परतिगृह्य समन्ततः
13 परविश्य भवनं राजा देवराजगृहॊपमम
शरुत्वा विजयसंयुक्तं रथात पश्चाद अवातरत
14 परविश्याभ्यन्तरं शरीमान दैवतान्य अभिगम्य च
पूजयाम आस रत्नैश च गन्धैर माल्यैश च सर्वशः
15 निश्चक्राम ततः शरीमान पुनर एव महायशाः
ददर्श बराह्मणांश चैव सॊ ऽभिरूपान उपस्थितान
16 स संवृतस तदा विप्रैर आशीर्वादविवक्षुभिः
शुशुभे विमलश चन्द्रस तारागणवृतॊ यथा
17 तान स संपूजयाम आस कौन्तेयॊ विधिवद दविजान
धौम्यं गुरुं पुरस्कृत्य जयेष्ठं पितरम एव च
18 सुमनॊमॊदकै रत्नैर हिरण्येन च भूरिणा
गॊभिर वस्त्रैश च राजेन्द्र विविधैश च किम इच्छकैः
19 ततः पुण्याहघॊषॊ ऽभूद दिवं सतब्ध्वेव भारत
सुहृदां हर्षजननः पुण्यः शरुतिसुखावहः
20 हंसवन नेदुषां राजन दविजानां तत्र भारती
शुश्रुवे वेदविदुषां पुष्कलार्थ पदाक्षरा
21 ततॊ दुन्दुभिनिर्घॊषः शङ्खानां च मनॊरमः
जयं परवदतां तत्र सवनः परादुरभून नृप
22 निःशब्दे च सथिते तत्र ततॊ विप्रजने पुनः
राजानं बराह्मण छद्मा चार्वाकॊ राक्षसॊ ऽबरवीत
23 तत्र दुर्यॊधन सखा भिक्षुरूपेण संवृतः
सांख्यः शिखी तरिदण्डी च धृष्टॊ विगतसाध्वसः
24 वृतः सर्वैस तदा विप्रैर आशीर्वादविवक्षुभिः
परं सहस्रै राजेन्द्र तपॊ नियमसंस्थितैः
25 स दुष्टः पापम आशंसन पाण्डवानां महात्मनाम
अनामन्त्र्यैव तान विप्रांस तम उवाच महीपतिम
26 इमे पराहुर दविजाः सर्वे समारॊप्य वचॊ मयि
धिग भवन्तं कु नृपतिं जञातिघातिनम अस्तु वै
27 किं ते राज्येन कौन्तेय कृत्वेमं जञातिसंक्षयम
घातयित्वा गुरूंश चैव मृतं शरेयॊ न जीवितम
28 इति ते वै दविजाः शरुत्वा तस्य घॊरस्य रक्षसः
विव्यथुश चुक्रुशुश चैव तस्य वाक्यप्रधर्षिताः
29 ततस ते बराह्मणाः सर्वे स च राजा युधिष्ठिरः
वरीडिताः परमॊद्विग्नास तूष्णीम आसन विशां पते
30 [युधिस्ठिर]
परसीदन्तु भवन्तॊ मे परणतस्याभियाचतः
परत्यापन्नं वयसनिनं न मां धिक कर्तुम अर्हथ
31 [वैषम्पायन]
ततॊ राजन बराह्मणास ते सर्व एव विशां पते
ऊचुर नैतद वचॊ ऽसमाकं शरीर अस्तु तव पार्थिव
32 जज्ञुश चैव महात्मानस ततस तं जञानचक्षुषा
बराह्मणा वेद विद्वांसस तपॊभिर विमली कृताः
33 [बराह्मणाह]
एष दुर्यॊधन सखा चार्वाकॊ नाम राक्षसः
परिव्राजकरूपेण हितं तस्य चिकीर्षति
34 न वयं बरूम धर्मात्मन वयेतु ते भयम ईदृशम
उपतिष्ठतु कल्याणं भवन्तं भरातृभिः सह
35 [वैषम्पायन]
ततस ते बराह्मणाः सर्वे हुंकारैः करॊधमूर्छिताः
निर्भर्त्सयन्तः शुचयॊ निजघ्नुः पापराक्षसम
36 स पपात विनिर्दग्धस तेजसा बरह्मवादिनाम
महेन्द्राशनिनिर्दग्धः पादपॊ ऽङकुरवान इव
37 पूजिताश च ययुर विप्रा राजानम अभिनन्द्य तम
राजा च हर्षम आपेदे पाण्डवः स सुहृज्जनः
38 [वासुदेव]
बराह्मणास तात लॊके ऽसमिन्न अर्चनीयाः सदा मम
एते भूमिचरा देवा वाग विषाः सुप्रसादकाः
39 पुरा कृतयुगे तात चार्वाकॊ नाम राक्षसः
तपस तेपे महाबाहॊ बदर्यां बहु वत्सरम
40 छन्द्यमानॊ वरेणाथ बराह्मणा स पुनः पुनः
अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यॊ वरयाम आस भारत
41 दविजावमानाद अन्यत्र परादाद वरमम उत्तमम
अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यस ततस तस्मै जगत परभुः
42 स तु लब्धवरः पापॊ देवान अमितविक्रमः
राक्षसस तापयाम आस तीव्रकर्मा महाबलः
43 ततॊ देवाः समेत्याथ बराह्मणम इदम अब्रुवन
वधाय रक्षसस तस्य बलविप्रकृतास तदा
44 तान उवाचाव्ययॊ देवॊ विहितं तत्र वै मया
यथास्य भविता मृत्युर अचिरेणैव भारत
45 राजा दुर्यॊधनॊ नाम सखास्य भविता नृप
तस्य सनेहावबद्धॊ ऽसौ बराह्मणान अवमस्यते
46 तत्रैनं रुषिता विप्रा विप्रकारप्रधर्षिताः
धक्ष्यन्ति वाग्बलाः पापं ततॊ नाशं गमिष्यति
47 स एष निहतः शेते बरह्मदण्डेन राक्षसः
चार्वाकॊ नृपतिश्रेष्ठ मा शुचॊ भरतर्षभ
48 हतास ते कषत्रधर्मेण जञातयस तव पार्थिव
सवर्गताश च महात्मानॊ वीराः कषत्रिय पुंगवाः
49 स तवम आतिष्ठ कल्याणं मा ते भूद गलानिर अच्युत
शत्रूञ जहि परजा रक्ष दविजांश च परतिपालय